Mixed Signals
by Clairisant2000
Summary: Mac wakes with amnesia to a world where she is married and so is Harm, but not to each other.
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Mixed Signals

AUTHOR: Clairisant

CLASSIFICATION: AJ/Mac

FEEDBACK: Would love to hear both good and bad feedback but please try to be kind and constructive. Clairisant

CREDITS: A special thank you to my beta readers Qupeydoll and Iarikatlia.

Chapter 1

Wednesday, March 1, 2004

1030 EST

Bethesda Naval Hospital

Bethesda, Virginia

Mac opened her eyes and noticed two things immediately. The first was that she was in a hospital, but oddly enough, it was the second thing that concerned her more. Admiral Chegwidden was sitting in a chair next to her bedside. He was dressed in civilian clothes and was holding her hand! From the worried and worn look on his face, she must be in pretty bad shape.

It could have been the slight movement of her head when she had assessed the room or just the fact that he kept checking on her, but he saw that she was awake and jumped to his feet. "Sarah! Thank god! I was so worried! I'm very glad you're awake."

She was about to say that she was too, and ask what had happened to her when he did something that sent every other thought from her head. Admiral AJ Chegwidden leaned over her and kissed her! Not a 'happy you're alive' peck on the cheek, or a 'concerned Commanding Officer' one on the forehead, but a full on, on the lips KISS!

Not wanting to, but knowing that this kiss was wrong, she dragged her lips away and exclaimed, "Admiral! We can't!"

Grinning down at her he said, "You haven't called me that in a while, Sarah. But I hardly think you're up to our 'stern Admiral' and 'naughty Colonel' games at the moment."

"Sir?! I don't understand…and why do you keep calling me Sarah?"

"Why do I…Darling, is something wrong?" he asked, the concern clear in his eyes.

"Darling?!" she practically squeaked, and then frantically looked around the room to make sure no one had heard that major infraction of the UCMJ. It was something she had always dreamed of hearing him call her, but knew it could never really…that was it! This had to be a dream! But usually when she dreamed of the two of them together with a bed involved it wasn't a hospital one!

Worried by her reactions, AJ brought her hand, which was still clasped in his, to his lips and kissed the back of her fingers. "Sarah, what is the last thing that you remember?"

Her brow wrinkled in thought for a moment and then she said, "Sadik."

"Yes…" AJ encouraged her.

"He came looking for me and when I confronted him, he threatened to blow up a night club." Looking into AJ's eyes she sadly admitted, "I shot him…I don't remember anything after that, I must have tripped or something after I killed him."

"Sarah, you didn't kill him. Diane did."

"Diane? Who is Diane?"

"Schonke…"

"Diane Schonke? She's dead! Don't you remember the mix up on the day Harm and I met? He claimed to know me and I denied it. Then it came out that I looked like his dead girl friend."

"I remember that day very well! I remember how Harm kissed you and how odd it made me feel. I think that even then I knew I was destined to love you. But, Diane isn't dead, Sarah. She's very much alive and married to Harm."

"Harm?! Married!? Nonononono that's not possible! He couldn't commit to a houseplant let alone a wife! You have to be mistaken!"

"Sarah, darling, we were at their wedding. Don't you remember?"

"NO! I don't! And I'd really like to know what is up with all this 'Sarah' and 'Darling' business! If someone were to hear you, you could be charged with Conduct Unbecoming!"

With an indulgent grin, he brushed her hair back from her cheek as he asked, "Now who would bring me up on charges for calling my wife darling?"

"WIFE?! You're married?!" she gasped. Suddenly all of her most hopeful dreams were dashed. Even though she knew Admiral Chegwidden could never love someone like her, in the most secret part of her heart she still clung to that flicker of hope that he might.

"Yes, Sarah, I'm married, and so are you." He brought up their clasped hands so she could see rings on both of them. As it registered that they were matching rings, he added, "We're married…to each other."

To be continued….


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Mac stared at the rings in stunned silence until his voice gently broke through, "Sarah?"

Tears sprang from her eyes as she looked up at him, "Oh Adm…AJ, something is very wrong here! Either this is the weirdest, most wonderful, dream I've ever had, or I am really mixed up!"

"You're not dreaming, my love. We've been married for almost five and a half years now."

"We have?" she questioned in a reverent whisper. She shook her head disbelievingly, and added in a voice somewhere between desperation and a poor attempt at a joke, "The next thing I know, you'll be telling me we have children too!"

AJ was really worried now, the bump on her head might have caused a momentary lapse so she didn't remember that they were married, but it went a lot deeper than that when a woman didn't remember she had children!

As her doctor entered the room AJ was saying, "Sarah, we have two children, a daughter and son."

Unaware of what was transpiring, the doctor merely saw that his patient was awake and cheerfully said, "It's good to see you awake, Mrs. Chegwidden. How are you feeling?"

He was, however, totally unprepared for the response he got to his question. Mac's face crumpled and tears poured forth, between sobs, she said, "Everything's wrong! I don't remember any of what the Admiral is telling me!" She buried her face in her hands after that, so missed the doctor's odd look at AJ.

"It seems that my wife doesn't remember we're married and have children. From what I can gather she thinks she is still a lawyer at JAG and I am only her Commanding Officer."

"How long ago was that true?" the doctor questioned.

"A little over six years ago," AJ informed him.

"Well, I have treated amnesia cases before and it is encouraging that she has only lost a portion of time. The truly difficult cases are when a person remembers nothing. It might take some time, but it is very likely that she will recover her memory. You can gently remind her of things as she feels up to hearing them. But, remember, that we need to let her body heal too."

After giving her a check over, during which time Mac had time to regain her composure, the doctor asked to talk to AJ in the hall. That alone was almost enough to put her in a spin again. The entire four minutes and thirty two seconds that they were out there she worried and dreamed up a dozen ways that she could be dying.

Out in the hall, the doctor told AJ, "When you are reminding her of the past you might not want to tell her just yet that she lost the babies. I know it's a hard burden to shoulder alone, but she may be to fragile emotionally right now to handle that news."

"I hadn't planned to tell her until she was stronger anyway, Doctor. You don't need to worry there."

"I know you are a strong man, Admiral, but we do have grief counselors here on staff if you need to talk to someone."

"I'll keep it in mind, thank you, Doctor."

Mac searched the Admir…AJ's…her husband's face when he came back into the room, but all she could detect was concern for her…and something that looked very much like love, shining in his eyes. Could it really be true? They were married and had children too? What had he said? A daughter and son? She was the mother of two?! How could she not remember that?!

She had to know what was going on! "What was it he thought I couldn't handle?" she demanded.

"He just advised me to go slowly with helping you to remember. You still need a lot of rest to recover properly, so he didn't want me to rush things."

"But I want…no I NEED to know! Everything is just so mixed up! Please Adm…AJ…please tell me what's going on. Why do I remember things differently than everyone else seems to?"

"I don't know, Sarah. The only guess that I can even hazard is that no matter what I ever told you to the contrary, you seem to feel that you either aren't good enough for me, or not worthy of my love. You told me early on in our dating days that it was because of your past, in spite of the fact that I repeatedly told you, you wouldn't be the strong, capable, wonderful, person that I fell in love with without that past. I think you just humored me when you said you agreed."

She lowered her head and with eyes that wouldn't meet his, said, "That sounds like something I would do."

To be continued….


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Taking the seat next to her bed and then her hand in his, AJ told her, "All right then, I will tell you the things you seem to have forgotten on one condition."

"What?" she asked hesitant, yet hopeful.

"That you really listen to what I am saying and how much I love and admire the woman whose life I'm going to tell you about."

With a very unexpected blush at what he had said, as well as the look in eyes, Mac nodded her agreement.

"No Sarah, I want to hear you say it! Will you truly listen with an open mind to what I'm going to tell you?"

"Yes, I will. I promise!" she assured him.

"Fine. Then I would have started with the day we met, but it sounds like I need to clear one thing up first. Harm had been dating Diane on and off again for a while and was going to meet her ship when it docked that fateful night. However, his date with another girl had run late and he had fallen asleep forgetting to set his alarm. Diane was attacked and left for dead. Without knowing of their relationship until much later, I had him assigned to the case when it came in. He investigated while Diane was in a coma, but nothing conclusive was resolved. While he was out of town on another case Diane came out of the coma, but was unable to identify her attacker. Because he was still at large, she was put into witness protection. By the time Harm got back into town she was gone and no one would tell him where. Six months later is when we all met for the first time at the reception in the Rose Garden."

"And you said that rather than just saying he knew me, he kissed me!"

"Yes…"

Saturday, January 3, 1997

1300 EST

White House Rose Garden

Washington DC

Admiral AJ Chegwidden saw the attractive Marine Major approaching them, and recognized her as Sarah Mackenzie from the personnel file he had been given the day before when he was informed that she would be joining his staff. Privately he had read her file over and over again. At first he had been intrigued by her photo. As he read over her career accomplishments he had been even more impressed. Now, seeing her in person, he realized that her photo didn't do her justice! She was even lovelier in the flesh.

Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. finally noticed that, although Admiral Chegwidden still seemed to be listening to him, he was no longer making eye contact with him. The Admiral was focusing on something behind Harm so he turned to see what it was.

"Diane!" Harm gasped as the woman AJ thought was Sarah Mackenzie got up to them. Harm eagerly pulled the woman into his arms and kissed her deeply on the lips.

When the kiss ended Admiral Chegwidden said sardonically, "I take it the two of you know each other?"

"Yes Sir," Harm happily acknowledged.

At the same time the lovely Marine hotly declared, "No Sir!"

"Of course we do, Diane! But what I don't understand is why you're in a Marine uniform," Harm insisted.

"My name is _Major_ Sarah Mackenzie and I am in a Marine uniform because I earned the right to wear it!"

Harm stood there looking confused and hurt as she took a sharp step back out of his arms. AJ took a step forward and held out his hand to her, "Major, I'm Admiral Chegwidden and although I won't offer you as an enthusiastic greeting as the Commander, I would like to welcome you to JAG. I'm sure you'll be an asset to the team. Commander Rabb, is there going to be a problem having Major Mackenzie in the office?!"

"Ummm…no Sir!" Harm assured him, still staring at Mac with suspicion in his eyes.

"I'm looking forward to being at JAG, Sir," Mac said in response to the Admiral's greeting.

That had been on a Saturday, and as they parted from the reception AJ told her, "We will see you in the office on Monday, Major."

"Yes Sir! Bright and early!"

To be continued….


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

What AJ hadn't realized was that Major Mackenzie's definition of 'bright and early' was the same as his. He had just dropped his briefcase and cover in his office and was on his way to the break room to start a pot of coffee when the elevator door pinged open and Mac stepped into the bullpen at 0730.

She was as surprised to see him already there as he was to see her, but he recovered first and said, "You know you really don't have to be here until 0900, Major. There are no bonus points for being here this early."

"I like to get an early start, Sir. All I need is some coffee to get me going right."

"I was just on the way to the break room to make a pot, but I make it pretty strong. What the rest of the office drinks is just colored water by comparison."

"I doubt it could be as strong as I like it, Sir. But I'm willing to give your Navy brew a chance," she offered with a teasing grin.

And so began their morning ritual of sharing that first pot of coffee together. They discovered that they really did like it the same strength, so whoever was the first one in the office each day would get the pot going.

Wednesday, March 1, 2004

1130 EST

Bethesda Naval Hospital

Bethesda, Virginia

AJ saw that her eyes were fighting to stay open so she could hear more of the story he was telling, but he knew that she needed to sleep just as he needed to make some calls letting everyone know her condition.

"Sarah, I'm going down to the cafeteria to get a bite to eat. Why don't you take a nap while I'm gone and I'll tell you more as soon as you wake up?"

"You could wake me when you get back," she suggested, eager to learn all she could so her memory would come back quicker.

"I'm not going anywhere until you are well, so you get what sleep you need. I'll be here when you wake."

His first call after leaving her room was to Bud and Harriet, who were not only watching the children, but he knew they were also very worried about Sarah. He hated to hang up with Harriet weeping over the loss of the twins Mac had been carrying, but he had more calls to make.

Harm and Diane were next on his list, and he got the news that they wouldn't be able to visit Sarah because with the stress and guilt Diane was feeling over what happened, she might lose the child she was carrying as well.

After the other calls were made, AJ did go down to the cafeteria to get some food. The food might have been nutritious, but that was about all he could say for it, as he left the meal only half eaten. He hurried back to Sarah's room in case she hadn't slept as long as he thought she would.

As it turned out, he was back in her room for just over an hour before she woke again. Her smile when she saw him lit the room. Quietly she asked, "Did I dream it, or are we married?"

"You remembered?!" AJ questioned eagerly.

She shook her head sadly, "No, only that you had told me that before I fell asleep. I'm sorry Ad…AJ."

"It's alright, Sarah! The doctor was very hopeful that your memory will come back. We just need to be patient."

"I find it hard to believe that patience was ever one of my strong suits, and I still find it so hard to believe that we're married! I mean, I'm having a hard time even calling you AJ to your face let alone anything else! And here you are calling me Sarah, and darling, and my love…what pet names did I have for you?"

Mac had thought this would be a simple question to answer, like darling, just as he called her, or maybe honey, or sweetie, although she just couldn't picture herself ever calling him by those nicknames. What she hadn't expected was for her never flustered Commanding Officer to sit there and blushing like a school boy caught with porn!

"I…ummm…well…" he stammered.

"Oh come on now! How bad could it possibly be?" she asked in disbelief at his utter befuddlement.

To be continued….


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Actually you aren't one for 'mushy handles' as you put it. Except when you want me to do something, then it's 'oh my darling, or my love'," AJ admitted.

"That's not so bad! I mean I could say things like that in front of the children you say we have! Why would those make you blush like you are?" Mac wanted to know.

"It wasn't those, Sarah. It was what you sometimes call me in our most private moments."

"Oh…but why would you be embarrassed about that?"

"Because, right now, in your mind I am still your CO and not your husband."

"Believe me, I've had a lot of very 'private' thoughts about you over the years! Please tell me…oh my darling…"

As Mac said that last she gave him that pleading glance that had melted his resolve every time she'd used it on him. With no more restraint than he could ever show when she did, he admitted, "Stud Muffin."

She had just picked up the cup of water from her bedside tray and taken a sip as he answered her. When he voiced that 'private' name she sprayed the water almost to the foot of the bed. She was only glad that she had looked away from him long enough to put the cup down or he would have been right in the line of fire. Her eyes flew to him and he was even redder than before. Mac couldn't help but to start laughing and only stopped when her bruised body protested.

"Sarah, are you alright?" he asked as he got to his feet in concern and leaned over her.

"Yes, fine," she whispered breathlessly. The pain was forgotten with his nearness. In her memory he had only even been this close to her as her CO when he had been in her face about something. Now however, he was concerned about her and she could see love shining from his eyes. They certainly had been closer than this in his version of their lives, because he had said they had children.

She wished he would kiss her. The one he gave her when she had just woken up hardly counted since she was too startled to enjoy it and too worried about regulations to have responded.

"Sarah?" he inquired gently.

"Yes?"

"I hadn't wanted to pressure you because in your mind we still work together, but I was wondering if it would be alright with you if I kissed you?"

With a half smile she said, "You know in all the times I dreamed of you kissing me I never once pictured you asking."

"I usually can tell when you want my kisses, but this amnesia thing has me feeling a bit hesitant."

"Well then let me clear something up for you! Even in my world, I always wanted your kisses! Now, mind you, I never thought it would happen, but they would always have been welcome."

"I know you want to hear about all that you have forgotten, but when we have covered all that, you're going to have to tell me what your idea of what happened to us was."

"I will," she told him, then gave him a saucy grin and asked, "So are you going to kiss me?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" he teased and suited words to actions.

This was the kiss she had always dreamed of! The kiss that should have happened that night in his bedroom! She could feel the love for her flowing through the kiss and just enough passion to excite her. Both of them knew she was in no shape to carry it any farther. Nor was this the place for them to be getting passionate, but at least with it there in his kiss it was getting easier to believe his version of their past.

The kiss ended much sooner than she would have liked, as her little moan of protest indicated. He smiled at her and after taking her hand in his, sat back down next to her bed. "You want to hear more of our story, don't you?"

"Hmmmmm, story or kissing…" she pretended to consider it for a minute causing him to laugh and promise more kissing later.

"Ok, Stud Muffin, why don't you get on with the story so we can be at the kissing part faster?!"

His blush was so cute that if she hadn't already been in love with him that would have done it! He cleared his throat and continued, "The second day you were at JAG you arrived at the office before me and had our coffee already going. When I stepped off the elevator I saw you in your office standing on your chair in your stocking feet hanging a picture of a baby seal. It wasn't until years later that you told me what it meant."

"I did!?" she gasped, for just a moment forgetting that they were married and wondering what could have possessed her to tell her CO that!'

To be continued….


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Yes, the day I helped you clean out your office when you left JAG. I had taken it down and was about to put it in the box of things you were packing when you turned to me with the softest smile on your face and asked me if I knew why it hung there on the wall between our two offices. I guessed it was just because you liked baby seals and you told me 'no'. You then explained that you had bought it and hung it between us as a reminder. That was the only SEAL you could ever have. You told me that, even then, you knew you were in love with me, but that with your past you could never be good enough for me. I once again tried to convince you that it wasn't, and never would be, true."

"Oh," was all she could say. Then, because she wanted to get off that embarrassing subject, she asked, "What happened then?"

"I admitted that I had stared at your lovely six the day you were hanging it before letting my gaze slide down your legs because your skirt was riding up. However, then I noticed that the chair you were standing on was on wheels and dropped my cover and briefcase as I raced across the bullpen. You were about to step off when you turned your head at my approach. The chair slid out from under you and you fell back against me. Your backside was pressed full length against me and it was in that instant I knew working with you was going to be hell."

"What do you mean?" Mac gasped.

"I had realized in that moment that I wasn't just attracted to you, but that I had fallen in love with you. I knew that nothing could ever come of it, not only was I your CO, but I was too old for you. You see, Sarah, you weren't the only one with self doubts. As soon as I could think straight, and I admit it took a minute, I made sure you were secure on your feet and then stepped back away from you. In self defense, I chastised you for standing on a chair that had rollers and you complained that you would have been just fine if I hadn't come to your 'rescue'! After that, we avoided each other for the rest of the day."

He paused to take a drink of water and then continued with the story. "I thought for a time that you and Harm might get together, but then it came out he was dating Anne, the wife of a deceased friend of his. Somewhere in that first year, you started dating Dalton Lowne. I can tell you that when you came to me and handed in your resignation to join his firm it nearly killed me."

"I remember Dalton and leaving. Am I also remembering right, that when it didn't work out, I came back to JAG?"

"Yes, I was overjoyed. Not that things didn't work out with Dalton. I wanted you to be happy, after all, but you were back at JAG and I could see you again every day. I had a hard time trusting that you wouldn't leave again though."

"You acted so coldly to me and gave me a lot of menial work to do, right?" she asked hopeful that she was starting to get things right.

"I'm sorry to say that you're right about that. I'm sorry, Sarah."

"I'm sure I deserved it! What happened next?"

"Well, I had reconnected with Francesca during that time…do you remember my daughter?" he asked, and at her nod, he went on, "I decided to have a party to introduce her to the staff. That was the night that changed my life!"

"It was the night we almost kissed!" she sighed at the memory, always regretting that she hadn't let him pull away.

"No, Sarah, we did kiss. I had leaned towards you, then hesitated, and said 'this is a mistake'. I was about to back away when you said, 'no it's not!' and pulled me back"

"That's not how I remember it, but I like your version much better! Please tell me more!"

To be continued….


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Well, we kissed, and then kissed again. Finally, when I could say something, I told you we needed to talk. You were afraid I meant about duty and regulations and tried to protest. But, instead, I told you that I had feelings for you and if you felt the same way we needed to talk about what it would mean to our futures. However, we couldn't do that with a party going on in the other room and I suggested that as soon as everyone left I would come to your apartment. We didn't know that Coster would jump you that night. Thank heavens Harm had your car tracked. You called me when you were home and had gotten rid of Harm. I raced over even though you didn't want me to see you like that. I didn't care about that. I only needed to make sure you were safe."

When he paused for a breath Mac said, "In my version I cried myself to sleep alone that night and then the next day you reminded me that duty sometimes kept us from the things we wished could be."

"Instead, you opened your door in a robe, fresh from the shower where you told me later you had been trying to scrub off Coster's touch, and the smell of the alcohol. You wouldn't meet my eyes; your chin was almost resting on your chest. I pushed the door closed with my foot and swept you up into my arms," AJ paused as he saw her eyes close and a smile form on her lips, it seemed like she was picturing the scene in her mind.

Wednesday, March 21, 1998

0100 EST

Mac's Apartment

Washington, D.C.

AJ carried her across the room and sat down on the couch with her still in his arms. Rocking her and murmuring that everything would be all right, he let her cry it out.

She told him how embarrassed and ashamed she was of herself with disgust in her voice, but AJ wouldn't hear of it.

"Sarah, that's nonsense! What Coster did to you was forced on you and none of that could change how I feel about you!"

Still not meeting his eyes, she asked, "How do you feel about me…AJ?"

"I have been in love with you since the day I found you hanging that seal picture in your office," he assured her.

Giving him a watery grin, she said, "Four hundred and thirty three days, eighteen hours, and forty one minutes ago. Exactly one day, and sixteen minutes less than how long I have loved you!"

They sat there staring at each other in stunned silence for a few minutes before moving into each other's arms.

By the time they finished talking things through they had decided that Mac would take a judge position that was open. That way, she would be out of his chain of command, but still in the same building. Because her resignation papers hadn't been processed when she left earlier to go to Dalton's firm, all that needed to be done was to change the date on them and send them to the SECNAV. With the recent Coster attack, Mac had reason to be out of the office until everything became official.

At the staff meeting the next day, AJ told everyone about her transfer and that Harm was being promoted to his Chief of Staff.

Two nights later there was a good bye party for her that Harriett had organized and, whenever Mac was asked why she had left, all she would say was 'personal reasons'. The two of them had decided to wait a while before going public with their relationship.

Wednesday, March 1, 2004

1530 EST

Bethesda Naval Hospital

Bethesda, Virginia

AJ again paused for a drink of water before the next installment in their story. Even though she had seemed to easily accept their romance, what he had to say next might be a bit harder to take. He remembered how difficult it had been for her to deal with the first time.

To be continued….


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"That weekend Harm had taken Josh Pendry on a Tiger cruise, and when the boat was captured by terrorists, we had to let Annie know. She had thought Harm had taken Josh sailing. When everything was over and everyone home safely, she broke it off with Harm and left town. It was definitely his month for drama, because a week later another woman was attacked just like Diane had been. The man was caught in the act and Diane was brought out of witness protection to testify. The shock was that she had Carey, her eleven month old daughter, with her. A DNA test on Caroline Schnook proved that Commander Holbarth was the father and he was put away for quite some time. It was the first case you presided over in your new position. You and Diane met for the first time in the court room. Later I heard that everyone in the room was stunned into silence by how much the two of you looked alike. Except for the different uniforms and hairstyles, you two could have been identical twins."

Tuesday, April 3, 1998

1130 EST

JAG Headquarters

Falls Church, Virginia

Harm was having a very hard time dealing with the fact that Diane had kept the child produced by the rape. But, even through that, he at least had a moment to gloat at everyone's stunned reactions to Diane and Mac looking so much alike.

Mac had managed to catch up with Diane as she was leaving the courtroom with her daughter. The two of them took another moment to just stare at each other as if looking in a mirror before Mac broke the silence. "Could we get together some time and talk? With so much in common, we have to be related somewhere in our family trees."

"That would be a bit hard for me to help you with, Major. You see, I was adopted. Might you have been also?"

"No, I was an only child, but my parents were regrettably mine."

"Still, I don't see any reason we couldn't get together some time. I don't have many friends here in town yet, and could always use more. I should be settled in my new apartment some time this week. Why don't you come over for lunch on Saturday or Sunday? I love to cook, but Carey doesn't appreciate my efforts just yet and cooking for one isn't much fun."

"I'd love to. Let me give you my card. I'll put my home number on it so you can call me and let me know what day ends up being better for you."

Diane agreed and the two parted since Mac needed to get back to hear her next case.

Harm was waiting for her to come out of her chambers at lunch time that day. As soon as she did, he asked with a triumphant grin, "So was I right or not about the two you looking so much alike?!"

"Yes, Harm, you were right," Mac admitted with a sardonic look.

"I saw the two of you talking after court. What was that about?" he wanted to know.

"She invited me over to her new apartment for a meal."

"She's getting a place in town? She didn't tell me that," Harm looked a bit hurt about that. "Did the two of you figure out how come you look like twins?"

"Not really, we only had a moment to touch on the subject though. She was adopted and I was an only child. Maybe we are cousins or something," Mac suggested.

"Did she say where she was going to be stationed since she's staying in the area?"

"Harm, the two of you used to date! Why are you asking me all these questions and not her?"

"I don't know really…I guess I'm just a little weirded out about her having a kid."

"You dated Anne Pendry and she had Josh," Mac reminded him.

"Yeah, but Josh was…well, Anne and Luke were married when Josh was born and, well, Carey…" Harm trailed off.

"You blame Diane for keeping her baby because of the way it was conceived? That's cold, Harm!"

"Hey! I never said that!" he protested.

"No, but you sure implied it!" she insisted.

To be continued….


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Wednesday, March 1, 2004

1600 EST

Bethesda Naval Hospital

Bethesda, Virginia

"The two of you compared notes at lunch that Saturday, and when you came to McLean for dinner that night, you told me that you could find no connections between you at all. But, Diane had given you the go ahead to look into her adoption records to see if you could discover anything there," AJ told her, then seeing that she was once again having trouble keeping her eyes open, insisted that she take a nap. He promised that he would be there when she woke and would go on with the story then.

Mac woke to the sound and smell of her dinner being delivered. The cheerful aide was warned to silence when Mac heard a soft snore from the chair next to her bed. AJ was sleeping.

The aide smiled and whispered to Mac that she was glad to see the Admiral asleep. He hadn't eaten or slept in all the time Mrs. Chegwidden had been there she reported that the nurses had said.

This was something Mac hadn't even thought to ask! How long had she been in the hospital? When questioned, the aide reported this was the third day since she'd been brought in.

AJ hadn't slept in that time because of his worry for Sarah and the grief over the loss of the babies, but the exhaustion had finally caught up with him. The fact that Sarah was awake now and talking had also been a huge relief, so he had let himself drift off while she was napping.

Having always kept his combat skills honed, he had been alerted by the sound of Sarah's voice and had woke while she was talking to the aide.

Seeing this, Mac smiled and teased, "I never would have thought you were a snorer!"

"I don't snore!" he protested half-heartedly, knowing that she wouldn't remember this was one of their favorite 'fake fights'.

"You do," she insisted. "How long has it been since you went home to sleep?"

She could see him considering a lie! Had she really come to know him that well? She wondered this even as she watched him choose the truth before slowly admitting, "I wasn't going to leave your side until I knew you were okay."

"Well now you know that I am. You need to go home and get some sleep…AJ if you've been here three days where have the children been?"

"They are at Bud and Harriet's, they are fine. I called to let them know when you woke up. Bud and Harriet were concerned too."

"Even better! Even with amnesia, I'm sure Harriet is still an amazing cook! Go there, let her feed you, and spend time with the children." She hesitated a moment and then asked with worry clear in her voice, "You didn't tell them that I didn't remember them did you?"

"No, I didn't. They're too young to understand that," he told her quietly.

"I don't even know their names, or how old they are, or even what they look like! I wish I could see them!" she moaned.

"I don't think it would be a good idea to bring them in here with you not remembering them, Sarah. But, as for the rest, I can fill in the blanks. Tamara Marie, or Tami, as we call her, was born May 18th, 1999. She's almost five now. Mathew Albert, I couldn't stop you from giving him even a part of my name, was born on September 4th, 2001, just one week before 9/11. Because his initials are M A C, that's what we call him, but everyone that still calls you that instead of Sarah so they refer to him as Matt."

"Do they look like you or me?" she asked a bit plaintively.

Smiling gently at her, he pulled out his wallet and the picture section unfolded like an accordion. The first side he showed her started with a picture of what had to have been their wedding. She was in an ivory stain gown that was figure fitting without all the usual lace and ruffles. He was in his mess dress uniform and couldn't have looked more handsome if he'd tried.

The next picture was of her holding a tiny baby in a pink blanket on the front steps of his home in McLean, and standing under a banner that said; 'Welcome Home Baby Girl'. The next four were all of a dark haired little girl in front of a birthday cake, one for each year of her little life.

Mac couldn't take her eyes off of the child. As much as she wanted to keep returning to how happy she and AJ looked in the wedding picture, she needed to focus on the litt…Tami. She was trying to force herself to remember those obviously happy occasions, but nothing came to her. Searching Tami's features, she whispered without taking her eyes off the last photo, "She has your eyes."

To be continued….


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Sarah, we both have brown eyes," AJ teased.

"But hers are kind and gentle and full of happiness, like yours," Mac assured him.

"Mine aren't always happy. There are times they have been sad, or worried like when you were brought in here. However, Tami really only takes after me in one way. In all others, she is a tiny princess and we both wonder where that dainty little lady came from."

"In what way does she take after you?" Mac asked, finally taking her eyes off the picture just long enough to glance over at him for a moment.

"She wants to go into the Navy when she is old enough."

"The NAVY!?" she gasped, as if it were the third level of hell rather than just another branch of the military that served the same great country.

AJ couldn't keep a chuckle from his voice as he said, "Don't worry, Sarah. You have been doing your utmost to corrupt our son ever since Tami made that choice. However, I'm not sure she'll stick with it, unless by the time she is old enough to enlist, they change the color of the uniforms to pink."

"PINK!?"

"If you'll notice the pictures, it's the only color she will wear, ever since she turned two and was old enough to make her choices known."

"I see," she said faintly, not sure how to react to a daughter that foreign to all she knew. Maybe there was hope in their son! "And Mac?"

"Turn the wallet over, his pictures are on the other side," AJ told her.

Sure enough, there they were! This was a child that looked like she could relate to! Again there was the picture of them bringing the baby home, but in the birthday pictures he was dressed in cammies! He looked so much like what she remembered looking like as a child that she knew instantly this had to be her son. Could Tami have been switched at the hospital? She would have to ask AJ about that later. For now, all she could do was stare at her son.

"He's a very special little boy, Sarah, and he knows every word to the Marine Hymn by heart. You sang it over and over to him as you nursed him."

"I sang?!" she asked in surprise and then the rest of what he said hit her. "I nursed!?"

"Yes, you did both and you nursed Tami as well. It was a beautiful sight to watch. Marcella nursed Francesca for a few days until she told me that my desire to 'watch' was perverted and switched her to a bottle. On the other hand, you seemed to relish it and we would often nestle together on the bed or couch while you fed them."

"Oh," she said softly with a slight blush at the thought of it. "I wish I could remember…"

"I'm sure it will all come back to you, darling. We just need to find the right trigger to bring it back."

"I hope so, AJ." It did seem to be getting easier to call him that as the story of their life unfolded. "Maybe you could tell me all about our dating and stuff when you come back tomorrow?"

"Sarah, I don't want to leave you alone!" he protested.

"I am guessing that our children are of at least average intelligence?"

"Of course they are!" he assured her heatedly.

"Well then, I'm also sure they know you won't leave me until I am well enough for you to do so. The longer you stay now that they know I'm awake, the worse they are going to think I am. I would love for you to never leave my side! But, the children need you there with them to assure them that I really am going to be okay! We have to put their needs first, AJ," Mac insisted.

With a reluctant nod at her logic, he told her, "I never could argue with you when you were right."

"And I'm sure I was always right!" she teased with a giggle.

"You always think you are anyway," he retorted back. "I will be here first thing in the morning. You get a good night's sleep," he told her and leaned over the bed to place a tender kiss on her lips.

A bit breathless as the kiss ended, she suggested, "You could always call me later and wish me a good night."

They shared a knowing smile and he promised he would.

To be continued….


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Mac spent every moment that she was awake that evening trying to force herself to remember the version of her life with AJ that he had been telling her. She went over and over again every bit of what AJ had told her and spent much of the time thinking about the photos he had shown her. Those pictures had shown a side of herself she didn't know. A happy contented side, one that centered on a husband, home, and family, rather than a career. It was something that she had always wished for, but never thought she would have. Now, here he had shown her that she did have it, but she couldn't remember any of it!

Why did she remember the last seven years differently than everyone else seemed to? Why didn't she just have no memory of that time rather than the fabricated life of a love sick lonely career woman?

It was nearly 2300 hours when her bedside phone rang. She had been awake about eleven minutes since the last pain medication induced nap she'd had. Quickly picking up the receiver, she questioned, "AJ?"

"Yes. Did I wake you, Sarah?"

"No, I was awake. Are you just now getting to bed?"

She heard his sigh through the line. "You were right about the children. They were all over me the minute I walked in the door. It seemed that I had to tell them at least a hundred times that you were all right and would be home as soon as you could."

"They really miss me…" she whispered, but he heard her.

"Sarah, I don't understand why you find it so hard to believe that you are a wonderful mother! I know you set your standard at Harriet Roberts, but in my eyes, you are just as good as she is. Our children worship you and wouldn't trade their mommy for any other in the world!"

Tears were rolling down her face at this testimonial. She had always dreamed of one day being AJ's wife and the mother to his children, and now supposedly it had happened and she could remember none of it. However, the love and admiration was clear in his voice. She must have done something right in this past that she didn't remember to cause those feelings from him.

"AJ?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Will you promise me something?" she begged.

"Of course! Anything!" he assured her without even knowing what it was.

"Even if I never get my memory back, will you still love me just as you do now?"

"Sarah, nothing could change my love for you!"

"And tomorrow, when you are here, you'll tell me about our courtship?"

"Yes, Sarah, I promise. Now you really should get some sleep," he advised.

"Me? I've been sleeping on and off all day. You're the one that needs sleep," she insisted, and then a bit shyly she asked, "Do you think you might dream of me tonight?"

"Oh, my darling! All my dreams are of you," he answered with a groan.

"Oh," she said softly, glad that he couldn't see the blush that his comment caused.

"Good night, Sarah, I love you."

"I love you too, AJ"

"You know that you don't have to say that just because. I can wait until you remember our love."

"The one thing that I do know for sure in all of this is how I feel about you! I love you more than I have ever loved anyone or anything in my life! You can be sure of that. No matter what reality I seem to be living in, that is the one constant."

"You can't know how much that means to me, Sarah. There was a time when I could only dream of you loving me, and then that night, when we kissed and later when you told me you loved me…it was as if all my dreams had come true in one fell swoop."

"I want to hear all about that tomorrow. Good night, AJ"

"Good night, Sarah," he answered and they both hung up.

To be continued….


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Sarah had a highly erotic dream about her and AJ that she'd never had before. The question in her mind then was, had it been a dream or a memory? If it was a memory, she had nothing to worry about in regards to their love life! She was still trying to reason it out when the door to her room opened and in came AJ. He looked freshly shaven and refreshed from his night in a real bed. She had to wonder if he'd had the same kind of dream last night.

Too embarrassed to ask that of him, she searched for another greeting and spied a thermos in his hand. "Is that coffee?!" she asked, like a junkie starved for a fix.

With a laugh he admitted, "It is. Harriet let me make a pot of 'road tar' as she calls it and even loaned me a thermos to bring it in before I left."

"And what do I have to do to persuade you to give me some?"

He considered a moment and then said, "Ask nicely, and offer me a kiss in reward."

"Oh, please, my darling stud muffin! I will give you whatever you want for what you have in your hand!" she offered in her most seductive voice.

The crash of her breakfast tray hitting the floor alerted them to the aide that had just come through the door in time to hear Mac. She stood there blushing furiously, with both hands clamped firmly over her eyes.

AJ had no idea what to say or how to assure the young woman that nothing had been going on, and Sarah's unrestrained laughter wasn't doing anything to help the situation. Finally he said, "She was only begging me for coffee, Miss."

Her fingers parted enough for one eye to become visible and looked around to make sure everyone was indeed properly dressed. Sarah recovered enough to comment through her giggles, "The hospital coffee is no great loss. It's way too weak for my taste anyway, but I was looking forward to the food."

The aide, prodded into action, said, "Let me get you another tray Mrs. Chegwidden and then I will get this mess cleaned up."

Once that was done, and AJ had replaced the hospital coffee with some he had made, Sarah happily ate every scrap of her second breakfast. The tray was collected while she was on her third cup of coffee, and as soon as they were alone, she reminded him of his promise of the day before.

"I remember, Sarah. It all started that night Coster attacked you. We admitted our feelings for each other, did a lot of talking, and some kissing. Before long, you fell asleep in my arms on the couch. You were so emotionally and physically exhausted that when I lifted you up and carried you into the bedroom you didn't even stir. We slept next to each other until morning.

He stopped to pour himself another cup of coffee and take a drink mainly to tease her before going on. "We woke in each others arms and you got all flustered because we were in bed together and you didn't remember how we got there."

Wednesday, March 21, 1998

0700 EST

Mac's Apartment

Washington, D.C.

Realizing where they were, Mac scrambled out of bed and backed away until she was as far as she could go without leaving the room completely. "Ummm…what happened? How did we get in here? Did anything happen that shouldn't have happened? Did we…ummm"

Sitting up on the edge of the bed, AJ raised his hand and she was instantly quiet. "No, nothing happened other than I thought we would be more comfortable in here. As much as I would love to stay here with you today, I do need to get into the office. I have my emergency bag in the Escalade. Would you mind if I grabbed a shower before I go?"

"Of course not! I'll put on some coffee and make breakfast while you do."

Knowing of her meager culinary skills, AJ said, "Coffee would be more than enough, Sarah."

"Nonsense!" she told him. "I won't let you go off without something hot in your stomach!"

He let it go at that and figured that if he could survive the jungles of Viet Nam, he could survive Sarah's breakfast.

To be continued….


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Showering and shaving quickly, he then dressed in her room. Along with the  
wonderful aroma of strong coffee there was another smell. He couldn't identify  
it, but at least it wasn't a bad smell.

Heading into the kitchen, Mac met him with a smile and a mug of coffee. After  
which she said, "I didn't know if you preferred strawberry or apple cinnamon, so  
I made you one of each." She handed him a paper towel with two pop tarts  
wrapped in it.

When he stared at them as if they might bite, she quickly rushed to offer, "If  
you'd rather have both of one or the other I don't mind! I like both kinds and  
since they come two to a pack…"

"No, this is fine. Thank you, Sarah," he said, taking a bite of the toaster  
pastry he had heard of, but never tried before. After the first taste, he had  
to admit they weren't as bad as he had always thought they would be.

"Would you like more?" she asked as watched him finish the last bite and then  
wash it down with a healthy swig of coffee.

"No, thank you Sarah, that was quite filling. I do need to go now, but I'll  
call you at lunch time, if you like, and we could make plans for this evening?"

"That would be great," she agreed and with a kiss that they both wished could  
have lasted longer, he was gone.

Admiral AJ Chegwidden was having a hard time getting through his usual morning routine that day. His thoughts were distracted at nearly every turn. If he  
wasn't thinking about last night's momentous change of events, then he was  
reviewing the staff's reactions to the news of Sarah's transfer. He wondered  
what they would have done if the truth had been told, and what they would do  
when he and Sarah did decide to `go public'.

Knowing just where he wanted their relationship to go, he also knew it was much  
too soon to scare her with his intentions to marry her as soon as she was ready.

Even Tiner noticed how unfocused the Admiral was that day and tried his best to  
expedite anything that needed to be done as well as keeping unscheduled visitors from bothering him. Tiner didn't think that the Admiral was even aware of what he was doing for him, but Jason felt better just knowing that he was being as helpful as possible.

Commander Rabb had been in court all morning and hadn't had a chance to pump the Admiral for more information on what was really going on with Mac's transfer. So, just as the lunch hour struck, he headed to AJ's office to see what he could find out.

Unfortunately for Harm, the Admiral had just told Tiner that he didn't want to  
be disturbed unless the building was being bombed. Tiner stood firm when Harm  
said he had to see the Admiral and promised that he could see him after lunch if  
Harm wanted to come back then. Harm, not at all happy about that, said he had  
to be out of the office all that afternoon interviewing witnesses for a case.  
Tiner expressed his regret and sent Harm on his way.

Inside the office, AJ had been aware that something was going on in Tiner's  
office. But, since he was talking to Sarah on the phone, it only vaguely  
registered.

"The office was very lonely without you today," he told her.

Mac's heart warmed to hear this and she replied, "I missed seeing you as well.  
How did everyone take the news?"

"There were a lot of questions that I put aside to get to the business of the  
day, but Harriet is already planning a good-bye party for you as well, and I'm  
sure there will be a list of questions, so be prepared."

"I am just planning on saying `personal reasons', which they are, if anyone  
asks, that is until we are ready to let everyone know any more."

"Well, I hope you don't mind, but I already told Francesca some of it. There  
were four messages on my voice mail when I checked it this morning and since she knows I didn't come home last night…I just felt that I needed to tell her  
something."

"Of course you did! How did she take it?"

To be continued….


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Very well, actually. She thinks we make a very 'cute couple' and while I cringe at being called 'cute' I concede she had a point on your part."

"I'm so glad that she approves of us. You hear so many times that children don't approve when a parent starts dating someone new."

"Sarah, Francesca is hardly a child. In fact, she is closer to your age than you are to mine."

"AJ if you are trying to hint that I ever might see you as a father figure, let me tell you that my father was a sorry drunk. The only 'fatherly' qualities that I attribute to you are in your role as my commanding officer. You are strong and stable, someone we can go to for advice and rely on. But, believe me, I do not see you in a fatherly role. If you had any idea what my fantasies of you are like you would know that!"

"Oh Sarah! You shouldn't say things like that to me when I have to stay here the rest of the afternoon!" he said with a groan.

Grinning unrepentantly she told him, "Maybe with that thought in your mind it will get you to hurry over here after work."

"It most certainly will, Sarah. Although I really want you to know that I respect you and want to court you instead of being one of those kinds of men that would push for a quick sexual relationship."

"That means a lot to me, AJ. I also think it might be wise to wait until we are ready to go public with our relationship, because I'm pretty sure that once we've made love, it will be nearly impossible to keep my hands off of you after that!"

"Sarah!" he groaned again. "If you are going to keep talking like that, I'm going to have to hang up!"

"Okay," she said with a clear giggle in her voice. "Then if that is the way you feel about it, I won't tell you that all I am wearing right now is a black lace teddy."

All she heard on his end was another groan and a click as he hung up. Her laughter rang out as she looked down at herself in a T-shirt and sweat pants. It was good to know that some things were common to almost all men, no matter who they were!

If possible, AJ's thought were even more distracted that afternoon than they had been in the morning. Both of those reasons were of course Sarah's fault! He would have to come up with some way to punish her for it, but the thought of that was almost as bad as what had caused the problem in the first place! All in all, he was very glad when 1700 rolled around and he could leave.

Those in the bullpen almost had heart attacks when he strode out almost on the last stroke of the hour. No one could remember the last time he had left that early.

AJ arrived at Sarah's apartment after picking up and assortment of take out food from Callisto's. Until they were ready to make their relationship known, it was probably best not to be seen out on the town in a date-like setting. Plus after having pop tarts for breakfast and skipping lunch in favor of talking to Sarah on the phone, AJ was very nearly starving. He loved her dearly, but if her idea of making a meal was toasting pop tarts, they would either be eating out a lot, or he would be doing most of the cooking.

Mac greeted him at the door in a T-shirt and sweat pants. She sighed happily at the sight of the 'to go' bags in his hands. Grabbing them from him she headed for the kitchen.

"What, no kiss?" he teased to her retreating figure.

"You get a kiss only if you brought ravioli!" she assured him.

AJ laughed, following her into the kitchen. He promised that he had brought ravioli and then asked, "Have you had that outfit on all day?"

Without thinking, she answered, "Yes," as she continued to pull containers from the bags.

"So, no black lace teddy?"

"Oh!" she gasped and then giggled as their eyes met. "Nope, sorry I lied about that!"

With a shake of his head and a half grin, he said, "I should have known. You don't seem like the black lace teddy type."

To be continued….


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Hey!" Mac protested, "I do have a drawer full of sexy lingerie…I just haven't had much reason to wear them! Especially when I'm alone in the middle of the day."

"Well then, I will live in hope of getting a fashion show one of these days," AJ smiled.

"I think I might be able to arrange that, but the guest list will have to be very restricted."

"I was thinking of just me," he informed her.

"Ah! An exclusive and private show! That sounds perfect."

"Yes it does," he agreed. "Now feed me woman! I'm starving."

"After that very filling breakfast you had?"

"Yes, well, I might have lied about that."

"Look at us lying to each other this early in our relationship!"

"Not about the important things, Sarah! Never about that!"

"Yes, we will always be truthful with each other," she promised.

They talked late into the night, about the past and the future. They also couldn't let the time go by without sharing some kisses, but both were careful not to let things get out of hand. Knowing that the more heated their kisses became, the harder it would be to keep from crossing the line. He left just before midnight to go home and sleep in his own bed.

They had talked about telling everyone that they were going to start dating at her good bye party on Friday, but decided that it was probably too soon. Mac's birthday was only a couple of weeks after that, and they thought it would be enough time then to make the announcement.

Arriving separately at the party, even though they planned to end the night together, they tried to keep their new association a secret. Sarah had packed a bag that was safely in the trunk of her car and as soon as the party was over she would be heading to McLean where she would the weekend with AJ. She had packed a few of her favorite pieces from her lingerie drawer and planned to give him that very private showing they had talked about.

The party had gone well and they managed to limit themselves to one dance together. It was difficult being in each other's arms when all they could think of was their coming night together.

The plan was for AJ to leave first knowing that no one else would leave with him still there. Mac would claim to be tired if the party hadn't broken up within thirty to forty five minutes later. She would remind them that when she was back at work she would still be in the same building. It would just be that her office would be upstairs.

She had to keep a tight reign on herself on the drive to AJ's home. Their night would have a serious cramp in it if she was picked up for speeding or even worse, got in a crash.

AJ had enough time to arrive home and put the finishing touches on the arrangement he had been making all day. He lit the dozen or so candles he had placed in the living room and another dozen or so in the bedroom. There were even a few in his master bath! Sarah had told him she loved gardenias when he asked her favorite flower and there were three of the beautiful blooms floating in the bath he had run for the two of them to share. The scene was set and he hoped that she would see he was more intent on treating her like a queen, rather than a sex object. He knew she'd had bad luck with men in the past, and wanted her to understand that was over now.

Tears flowed from her eyes the moment he opened the door and she beheld the living room behind him. Softly she asked, "Is all this for me?"

"This and so much more, my love. I want you to tell me your every wish and desire so I can fulfill them."

"Oh, I think it's a bit soon to tell you all that," she admitted shyly.

"It's not, Sarah. You can tell me anything."

"And not have you go running off into the night?"

"I'm not the running kind," he told her firmly.

"No, I guess you're not. Okay then, my fondest wish and deepest desire is to one day be Mrs. AJ Chegwidden and the mother of your children."

To be continued….


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Mac's words hung in the stillness of the room, just long enough that she began to worry she had gone too far. But then AJ pulled her into his arms with a deep sigh and said, "I want that very same thing, Sarah!"

"You do?!" she questioned incredulously.

"Yes…I do!" he assured her.

"Oh AJ!" she sighed and melted into his arms.

"I have a few surprises for you this evening. Will you trust me, my heart?"

"Of course I will!" she whispered, nearly breathless with the emotion of the moment. No one had ever treated her with the love and care that AJ was showing her. She had become so used to being neglected it had become the expected outlook. Her mother had abandoned her. Her father had been a drunk. All the men in her life had been losers or lunatics, except for her Uncle Matt, who had turned out to be the fanatic who had stolen the Declaration of Independence! What kind of background did that give her? Then she found someone like AJ, so was it any wonder she had trouble believing that he could love her?

While all this had been running through her mind, AJ had stepped forward and slowly began to undress her. She finally noticed when he opened her blouse and the cooler air from the room caressed her skin. She looked up into his face and found that his eyes were doing the same thing as the air was.

"Sarah, you are so lovely," he whispered.

"I'm glad you think so, but I want to see you too," she protested, as she reached out for the bottom of his charcoal gray sweater. Mac pulled it over his head in one quick movement. His chest was as she had pictured it to be, not too hirsute, but just a heart shaped patch of salt and pepper hair in the middle. Both her hands lifted to stroke him until they found his nipples and stopped to play.

His moan of pleasure told her that he didn't mind her actions, and his sigh of delight when he removed her bra, pleased her just as much. They took their time undressing and caressing each other. Neither of them were plagued with the impetuousness of youth. They wanted to savor these moments, make of them something to be remembered.

When they were both naked, AJ held out his hand to her. She thought that it was sweet of him to want to guide her to the bed that was only three feet away and in plain sight, but she was surprised when he didn't stop at the bed. Instead he proceeded into the bathroom. The room was also lit by candles and she saw the gardenia blooms floating in the water. How in the world had she gotten a man so kind and considerate?! He carefully scooped two of the flowers out and put them on the edge of the tub, but with the third, he tore the petals loose from the base and sprinkled them back into the water.

With a tender smile he said, "I know it's supposed to be 'ladies first', but if you will allow me?"

She nodded, wanting to know what he had in mind. Then she watched as he unselfconsciously stepped into the large sunken tub. Sitting down and then laying back in the scented water, he held out his hand in an invitation to join him. Mac stepped into the tub as he guided her to a position sitting in front of him with his body as her back rest.

Never had she felt such a connection with a man like this before. Not just because she was lying practically on top of him while they were both naked, but this level of attentiveness she was getting from AJ was beyond her realm of experience and almost beyond comprehension. Her sigh of pure bliss was not just heard by him, but felt through their joined bodies.

To be continued….


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 (edited for sexual content)

"Sarah," AJ whispered in her ear, "I want you to know that, if you will allow me to, I would like to spend the rest of my life caring for you just like this."

"You have to let me take care of you too, you know."

"That is acceptable to me, counselor. How soon would you like to formalize our contract?" he teased.

"I've always dreamed of an early fall outdoor wedding. Do you think that the end of September would be too early?"

"That's six months from now, it should be fine. We could wait to announce the date until June, giving everyone some time to get used to the idea of us 'dating'."

"That makes sense. Could we have the wedding here in your yard?"

"We can, my love, and anything else that you desire."

"I'll think about that later, right now I have other things on my mind," she told him as she ran her hands down his legs. She could tell she had his attention.

Nuzzling her neck, he said, "I am guessing they are the same things I have on my mind!"

"I certainly hope so," Mac admitted.

They got out of the tub and Mac discovered a new decadent pleasure. AJ handed her a cozy warm towel from one of the heated bars in the room. Sighing she wrapped it around herself all the while thinking how lucky she was to find a man as considerate as AJ.

When they were dry, AJ led her into the bedroom and turned back the covers for her. She slid in to unusual feeling sheets. They weren't cotton or satin, and as AJ joined her she asked about them.

"They are silk. Francesca said they are the 'new satin'. They aren't as slippery, but feel just as good. She got me this set for Christmas in the hopes that I would have someone in my life someday. She reminded me of them before she left town."

Mac blushed lightly to think of his daughter helping him to plan her seduction. But in the long run she had to admit it was much better than the alternative of Francesca hating her and trying to sabotage Mac's relationship with her father.

"Remind me to thank her…later," she told him with a smile, and slid into his arms hoping to take his mind off of his daughter.

AJ had little trouble refocusing his thoughts on Sarah rather than Francesca. The woman in his arms was a long awaited dream come true.

To be continued….


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

When Mac realized what his goal was, she had only a moment to wonder what it was going to be like. Her early encounters with males had all been about hot-now sex. During her one relationship before Dalton, she had been too uncomfortable to allow John to do that. With Dalton, he had considered himself too refined for oral sex.

Later, much later, she would have time to wonder if she had been missing out on this amazing experience all her adult life. Or, was only this one very extraordinary man that could make this experience so amazing. But right now, all she could do was to lose herself in the sensations he was giving her.

"That was the most incredible thing I have ever felt, AJ!"

"I'm glad, Sarah. I want to please you."

To be continued….


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Saturday morning over a leisurely breakfast they shared the morning paper. Then, they pushed the dirty dishes aside to make love on the table. They made sandwiches and a pitcher of tea for lunch on the sofa while watching the game. The sofa proved too much of a temptation and they were soon enmeshed in each other rather than the game. They recovered just as half time started, so with resigned grins, decided that a shower might be a good idea.

After the exertion of more sex and finally getting clean, they gave up the end of the game in favor of a nap. They actually managed to make it through dinner, clean up, and the evening news before they were in each others arms again. The day hadn't only been about sex though. They had talked quite a lot about the future and what each of them wanted. Both were happy that they were in sync on major issues and knew they would have fun arguing and making up over the smaller ones.

Sunday was pretty much a repeat of Saturday, but Mac sadly said she needed to go home that night because she hadn't brought work clothes with her. AJ, on the other hand, suggested that since he was always up early enough to make the trip anyway, she could spend the night and then head home to shower and change at her apartment while he did the same there. Mac was more than willing to agree to anything that kept her near him longer.

Monday, she spent the day settling into her new office and reviewing files. Her first case would be heard Tuesday morning. That was when she met Diane Schonke for the first time.

After that meeting, Mac had set to work finding out about Diane's adoption, but she had made very little headway on discovering anything about her birth parents. It seemed that if the records were sealed, they would stay that way. No matter the age of the child in question. The agency she spoke to promised to try and contact Diane's birth mother, but they were up front enough to say that after all that time and no updates on the record, there was only a slim chance that they would find her. However, if they did, and she gave permission for information to be released, they would contact Diane. Mac gave them the information they would need to do that in the hopes that something would come from their search.

AJ never knew whether Sarah had decided to invite Diane to her birthday party to pique Harm because of the way he was behaving over Diane's child, or if she might have been trying to play matchmaker. She might even have just done it because she had come to like the woman who looked so much like her.

However, once the invitation had been given, it opened a whole new can of worms. Mac told her the reason and the date of the party and a very odd look came over Diane's face.

"Your birthday is April 10th?!" she questioned.

"Yes, why?" Mac asked.

"So is mine!" Diane admitted slowly.

Thursday, March 2, 2004

1145 EST

Bethesda Naval Hospital

Bethesda, Virginia

"Now wait just a minute!" Mac interrupted AJ's retelling of their story. "Are you trying to tell me that Diane and I ended up having the SAME birthday's?!" she demanded.

"Yes, Sarah," he replied softly, knowing what questions were going to be following.

"I suppose the next thing you're going to tell me is that we are the same age!?"

"Within a few minutes of each other," was his answer.

"So you're trying to say that she and I are sisters?"

"At that point it was only a guess. Both her adopted parents were dead and you had lost track of yours many years before. It wasn't until just over a year later when you were contacted about your father who was dying that you learned the truth."

"I remember going to California to see him! But I was too late, he was already in a coma when I got there and never came out of it."

"I know, Sarah. You learned the truth from your mother. She didn't want to tell you at first, but when you confronted her with a picture of you and Diane together she finally confessed."

"Just what did she confess to?"

To be continued….


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Sarah, are you sure you want to know?" AJ questioned in concern.

"Of course I want to know! What in the world could make a woman split up twins?"

"Your mother told you she had never really wanted a child. It was the typical teen getting pregnant and the parents forcing the pair to marry story. She had no idea she was carrying twins until your birth."

"So now she was faced with not one, but two unwanted babies!" Mac sighed.

"I guess that was probably how she saw it. When the two of you were just a week old, Diane developed colic and cried non stop for days on end. Your father hadn't been home since before the birth. He was a traveling sales man at the time. So she went to a social worker and gave Diane up for adoption. When your father came home a few days later, she just never told him there had been two babies."

"My god! How could she have done something like that!? AJ, do you know what kind of childhood Diane had?"

"Oh Sarah!" he sighed.

"Let me guess…she was the doted on only child of loving parents that were grateful for the blessing of her in their lives? In other words, she had a picture perfect childhood."

"That's about the lot of it, with the exception that her mother passed away from cancer just after Diane graduated from high school and her father died two years later while she was still in college. His car had stalled on a train track on a foggy night."

"But she was loved and cherished until she lost them?"

"It seems so, yes."

"Why couldn't I have been the one with colic?" she wondered.

"You asked that same question the first time you found all this out and I will tell you what I told you then. If you had been, you wouldn't be the strong, determined woman I fell in love with. Diane is very nice, and I like her just fine, but she's certainly not you!"

"My god! You always know the exact right thing to say, don't you?!" Mac was torn between giving him a smile or a frown.

AJ gave a snort of laughter and claimed, "I guess it's the lawyer in me."

"It's more than that. I know lawyers that put their foot in their mouth way too often!"

With quiet consideration she said, "So Diane and I really are sisters."

"Well, as I said, you didn't find out for sure until a year later, it was only speculation until then. But yes, you are."

"And all I can remember about her is that she was Harm's dead girlfriend. How did Harm take all that?"

"Actually he accepted that easier than he did the fact that Diane kept her child. He struggled with that for a long time."

"How did everyone take the news that you and I had started dating?"

"Oh, that was a fun evening…"

Friday, April 10, 1998

1800 EST

Callisto's Restaurant

Falls Church, Virginia

Mac had informed everyone that since she and Diane shared the same birthday and were most likely twins, she wanted to have a joint party that year. No one in the JAG family had a problem with that, or if they did, it wasn't spoken aloud.

She and AJ had reserved the private party room at Callisto's for the celebration, and had picked Diane up on their way to the restaurant. Harm hadn't asked Diane to be his date that evening and Mac hadn't wanted her to arrive alone. Carrie had been left with a sitter for the evening.

Because of the arrangements, Diane was the first to know that her 'sister' and AJ were seeing each other. She wished them both all the best before they went in together.

The three of them were the first to arrive, so nothing was said that they had come together. AJ checked to make sure the arrangements were in order while Diane and Sarah started to greet the early arrivals.

Not everyone of the JAG family had seen both Mac and Diane together before that night, although they had heard all about the resemblance. Harriet had been one of those and couldn't get over 'seeing two of Mac' as she put it while chatting with Diane.

Mac saw Harm arrive and was glad that he had come alone. She went forward to greet him, but before she could say a word, Harm said, "Where is the kid tonight?"

"You know something fly boy? You're an ass! Goats have kids, not humans. Diane's daughter's name is Carrie and, when you do ask her about her child, you should use her name!"

Having heard the heat in Sarah's voice, AJ approached the former partners and asked, "Is something wrong here?"

To be continued….


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"No Sir," Harm replied, throwing Mac a dirty look and then walking over to where Diane was standing.

"Was that the truth, Sarah?" AJ asked.

"He's still being a jerk about Diane's daughter. I just can't see what his problem is!" Mac answered in frustration.

"I don't either, darling, but it is something the two of them will need to work out. I doubt anything you or I could say on the matter will change his attitude."

"You're probably right," she sighed.

One of the waiters came over to tell AJ that the buffet was ready and they could start whenever they wanted to. He thanked the man and offered Sarah one arm. As they approached Diane, he offered her the other and escorted the two of them to the buffet table. "Would you ladies care to get us started?" he asked.

They gave him identical smiles and agreed. Mac picked up a plate and handed it to him before taking one for herself. She clearly wanted him to follow her in line.

They stayed close the rest of the evening, sitting together and chatting, still not making any intimate gestures to give themselves away. Sarah had suggested they make the announcement during the toasts after dinner and AJ had agreed.

As the highest rank there, AJ stood to give the first toast as the cake was brought out from the kitchen. "Tonight is not just about turning another year older, this night is about family. From the newly discovered connections between Sarah and Diane, to our extended honorary JAG family. Even though Sarah has moved out of our offices, she hasn't moved from our hearts. Also, as we come to know Diane better, I am sure she will establish her own place in our hearts as well. To two very lovely ladies! Happy Birthday!" AJ said and raised his glass to Sarah and then to Diane before taking a drink.

Harm rose next and AJ could almost feel both the birthday ladies tense. He raised his glass and said, "Mac, I already miss having you around the office. It just isn't the same now that you're not there. And Diane, I'm glad that you're back. Happy birthday to both of you!"

Both women breathed a sigh of relief that Harm's toast was so innocuous. Then, they listened while the others that wanted to say something rose to do so.

Diane had been told in the car that Mac would make the dating announcement at this point in the evening, so she had agreed to go first in responding to all the toasts. She rose to her feet and graciously thanked everyone for their kind words and well wishes. Then she went on to say, "It was a great surprise and joy to meet Sarah and find out that she is most likely my twin sister. Although this hasn't been confirmed and may never be, it doesn't lessen the happiness I feel at having her in my life and the wonderful welcome into the fold that I have felt from all of you."

When the applause for her words died down, Mac got up, after a quick reassuring hand squeeze with AJ from under the table. She said, "I also want to thank everyone for all the nice things said tonight. It has been an interesting week, meeting Diane, and finding out that I have a twin. That is why sharing tonight with her has been so important. There is one other thing that I wanted to let you all know tonight. I know you have been wondering why I made this sudden change in my career and up to now I haven't given a very clear reason…"

She paused in her comments to throw Harm a look when she heard him mutter, "Any reason!"

When he had the grace to look sheepish, she continued, "The night of the party at AJ's…the Admiral's house…that is to say, the same night Coster attacked me, I discovered…or I guess it became clear that…"

To be continued….


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

As Mac floundered in what she was trying to say, she threw AJ a look that pleaded for help. He stood up to put a reassuring arm around her shoulders, and immediately she felt more at ease. AJ looked out at the confused faces of their friends and said, "That night it became clear to both Sarah and myself that we had feelings for each other that ran deeper than co-worker or friends. After talking things over, we decided that Sarah would move out of my chain of command so we could explore where those feelings might lead us. We want you, our friends, to know that we have started dating."

Harriet and Diane led the cheers and the rest of the room added polite applause after recovering from the surprise.

AJ asked the birthday ladies to cut the cake so they could all have some before dancing, as their friends started to come forward to offer individual comments.

Tiner, who had just seen the twins together for the first time that night, made a comment that was certainly meant to be funny, but came out all wrong, while advising AJ to be sure he was with the right sister.

Harriet assured everyone that she had known there was something in the air between them. Then she blushed, asserting that she didn't mean anything had been going on, just that she had sensed they were meant for each other.

Harm, on the other hand, was oddly quiet on the topic. After the cake was served and eaten he only stayed long enough to have one dance with Diane before leaving.

Thursday, March 2, 2004

1230 EST

Bethesda Naval Hospital

Bethesda, Virginia

The aide entering the room with her lunch interrupted AJ's story. He rose and gave her a tender kiss before promising to pick up where he left off when he got back from the cafeteria.

Her lunch tray was just being removed when AJ returned from his own meal and a call to check on the children. He sat down and started by saying, "The rest of that year was certainly an eventful one. Bud and Harriet were married in May, you and Harm served as their maid of honor and best man. We announced that we were getting married at their reception. I'm pretty sure, after that, that Harriet aimed her bouquet at you deliberately when she tossed it. We were married September 21st, and then three weeks later Harm had to go to Italy on a case and I used it as an excuse to inspect the Naples offices. You were going to go along on the trip so we could visit Francesca, but at the last minute you…"

"WAIT!" Mac interrupted. "You can't just skip over our wedding like that! A girl dreams all her life of marrying the perfect man and you skip over that precious forgotten memory with just telling me the date!?"

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I should have thought of that," he apologized by taking her hand and giving it an understanding squeeze. "Well, as I had told you before, you wanted a small outdoor wedding. It was held in our backyard in McLean. The lease on your apartment was up on August 1st, and rather than renewing it, you moved in with me. Francesca and you had several meetings and phone calls about your dress and the ones that she, Harriet, and Diane would wear as your attendants. She arrived the week before the wedding to make any last minute alterations and to spend time with us. The night before the ceremony, you had a girl's night out on the town and Francesca had rented a suite for the two of you at the Willard so you could uphold the tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other before the wedding. I had stayed at the house to make sure everything would run smoothly…"

Saturday, September 21, 1998

1000 EST

Their Wedding Day

McLean, Virginia

AJ Chegwidden, soon to be husband to the beautiful Sarah Mackenzie, couldn't help smiling. Strangely enough it wasn't about his upcoming wedding or even his bride that he was smiling about. In fact, an hour before he pledged himself to Sarah, he was thinking about another woman!

To be continued….


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Bud and Harriet had arrived a few minutes ago. While Bud was stammering through apologies for being so early, his wife of only four months had taken over. She had been appalled to find AJ alone with the wedding arrangements. He was in a sweater and jeans when they got there overseeing the set up of chairs in the back yard. Harriet had ordered the Admiral into the house to get ready and sent Bud along to help while she, in her lovely new gown, took over.

As he dressed for his wedding, AJ couldn't help but think about Harriet outside, directing things like a general overseeing battle plans. He could hear cars starting to pull up and suggested that Bud go out and help his wife so she would have a few minutes to relax before the ceremony.

"I doubt that will be possible Sir. Ever since we found out last week that Harriet is pregnant, she seems to be going full speed ahead."

"It's called 'the nesting urge', Bud, and even though you might not think so right now, it will pass and she will settle down again."

"I hope so, Sir," he muttered as he left to go help his wife.

The gowns that Francesca had designed for the attendants were in complementing fall colors and were as lovely as the three ladies that were wearing them. But the groom only had eyes for his exquisite bride and rightly so! She was a vision in her dress of ecru velvet. But even that was only noticed briefly by the happy groom. His attention was focused on Sarah's beautiful face. She was glowing with happiness and her smile filled his heart with joy as she came down the short aisle towards him.

Because her father was long out of her life and her Uncle Matt was still in prison, Sarah had decided she would walk down the aisle alone. Being a strong and independent woman, she didn't need anyone to 'give her away'.

AJ had matched his groomsmen with Sarah's attendants as best he could. Harm would escort Diane, Bud would be with his wife, and that left Tiner to walk with Francesca. Not the best of matches, but the best he could do.

The ceremony was short and traditional, only the word 'obey' had been left out. AJ could only grin at the thought of Sarah 'obeying' him. Colonel Mackenzie had to, of course. But, he was sure he would lose more arguments with Sarah than he would win. However, that prospect didn't bother him in the least.

Their first kiss as husband and wife was short, but sweet, completely appropriate for a public display of affection.

During the tossing of the bouquet, both Diane and Francesca were standing in the front of the group, but it was clear that Francesca hadn't even tried for it as Diane gave a graceful jump to grab it. Harm pretended not to notice, and when AJ was about to toss the garter, he didn't even come forward. It was Tiner who latched on to him and dragged him over. AJ purposely kept it fair by not looking where he was tossing the scrap of lace and ribbon. He didn't even know that Tiner had caught it until the guests were laughing at the young man's stunned expression.

The reception was also held in the yard and was a fully catered lunch. The cake cutting followed a very filling meal. AJ delicately placed a tidbit of cake in Sarah's mouth and waited expecting her to do the same to him. He was therefore rather stunned when she tried to shove the entire slice into his mouth at once. He had cake smeared over the lower half of his face!

AJ, however, was a man that believed in sharing as well as in retaliation, and so, kissed his lovely bride rather thoroughly. In the process he transferred quite a lot of the cake to her face. The pictures of this were entertaining to say the least and would be a highlight in their wedding album.

To be continued….


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Once all the guests were gone, Sarah presented AJ with her wedding gift to him. It was a simple white plastic stick with a blue plus sign showing in the window. They were already expecting their first child!

It was three weeks later and AJ was concerned when two days before their planned trip to Italy Sarah started having morning sickness. Her bouts were bad enough that her doctor advised against flying, as that would make it worse. They were both disappointed, but AJ would have to go without her.

When Francesca was kidnapped, during his time there, AJ faced it alone with only phone calls from his sympathetic and worried wife to help him through. After her rescue, Francesca promised her father and Sarah that she would come to the States for Christmas and stay through the New Year.

Back at home again, November because a very eventful month. Not only did Commander Mic Brumby of the Australian Navy join the JAG team, but after meeting Diane Schonke, when she came by the office one day to have lunch with Harm, he began to pursue her. Because her relationship with Harm was still very much 'on again-off again', she accepted his invitation to dinner and they started dating.

The same week that Mic arrived, someone out of Mac's past also made an appearance. Chris Ragle, her ex-husband, showed up. He had heard that Mac had gotten married, and since he never received the papers from the divorce she had filed before entering the Marines, he planned to blackmail her about her bigamy.

Mac had made AJ aware of what was happening and they both thought that the matter would easily be solved by showing him the divorce papers and telling him to be on his way. However, that was before he found out the she was now a Judge he then threatened to bring up her relationship with John Farrow unless they paid him twenty thousand dollars to keep her secret.

AJ realized that the marriage and divorce could be put down as youthful indiscretion, although it still hurt that she had never told him about it. However, finding out about her affair with her CO while she was in Okinawa wounded him deeply. Not only did he worry about a pattern of behavior in a relationship with an older senior officer, but the fact that this indiscretion could lead to conduct unbecoming charges factored into it as well.

"Sarah, why didn't you tell me about this before?" AJ asked after their confrontation with Chris.

"Because it was in the past! John was someone I cared about at one time, but it's over and has been for years. We never discussed past relationships AJ, so that's why it never came up."

"Don't you see why I'm concerned here? He was your CO too! He is older than you…you told me you didn't see me in a 'fatherly' role, but here is someone else from your past with a significant age difference. What am I supposed to think?"

"Maybe that I prefer older men because of their maturity level. I could have gone out with Harm before Diane came back into his life, believe me he asked, but I found him so juvenile when compared to you. My Uncle Matt was enough of a 'father' for me, AJ! You have to believe that I don't see you in that way at all! I love you!"

"But you were under his command when…"

"No! I had already gotten my transfer papers when he asked me to go away with him. I was officially out of his chain of command by then."

Before AJ had a chance to respond to that there was a knock at the door. When he answered it he came face to face with John Farrow.

Farrow introduced himself and then added, "I'd heard that Sarah had gotten married. You're a lucky man, Admiral. She's an incredible lady."

"Yes, she is," AJ answered and stepped aside so the other man could come in.

The surprise when he saw Mac's condition was clear on his face. "I hadn't heard that you were expecting. Congratulations to you both."

"Thank you, John, but why are you here?"

To be continued….


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"I got a phone call from Chris Ragle this afternoon. He seems to be under the impression that he is still your husband! And he feels he needs compensation for his silence regarding our time tog…" he stopped mid-word and threw a look at AJ. He had obviously come to the realization that Sarah's current husband might not have known about them.

If it had been just a few hours earlier Farrow would have been right. As it was, AJ told him, "I am aware of what happened. What we need to do now is figure out how to handle this. Even if nothing inappropriate happened, with Sarah's position as a Judge, a scandal could adversely affect her career."

While Mac agreed with what AJ was saying there was still a sting in his words. Instead of saying, 'even though nothing happened' he had said 'if' as if he was still unsure of the truth of it. But they would have to deal with that later in private. It wasn't something to be done in front of John.

"Why don't you both let me handle Ragle? You could consider it the wedding gift I didn't have a chance to get you," John suggested.

"We couldn't let you do that, John," Mac said just before AJ was also going to refuse the offer.

"Why not? With you in that condition and both of your careers to consider…"

"You have a career too John and Chris is my problem."

"But he is threatening both of us Sarah!" he protested.

"That is why I should be the one to confront him. Once he knows that I know about the affair, I can, in my position as Judge Advocate General, make it clear to him that nothing scandalous happened because Sarah was no longer under your command. He won't have a leg to stand on," AJ assured John.

"That actually might work," Mac admitted. "It wasn't until he was shown the divorce papers that he brought you up, John. So, if he sees there's nothing to make money on, he'll just go away."

"He seems more the bulldog sort, Sarah. Likely to make something up if the truth won't get him what he wants."

"This really is something for Sarah and I to handle Colonel. It's not necessary for you to worry any more about it."

"I disagree! I think the best solution would be for you and I to confront him together. If he sees that both of us are interested in protecting Sarah's interest, maybe it will humble him into leaving town."

Mac could tell from John's body language that he didn't believe Chris would just slink away into the night, and one look at AJ told her he didn't buy it either. Both men were trying to protect her, but AJ was doing it out of love and concern for her current condition. She knew he was totally aware of her ability to take care of herself in any situation. John, on the other hand, had never seen her in action. She was startled to realize that even though he could name every medal on her uniform, that somehow he still believed she might not be able to deal with her ex.

Maybe that was why she ultimately hadn't chosen John. On some level, she must have felt in him this lake of trust in her abilities. That was certainly why she was with AJ. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he trusted her, even with his life!

"Thank you Colonel, but it's not necessary for you to become any more involved," AJ stated.

"Listen, I know both of you want to protect me, but Chris is a mistake I made. I need to see this through. AJ, I know you're worried about the baby and I, but Chris won't hurt me, that was never his style. Once he's realized that there is no trouble to stir up, or money to be had, he'll go away."

AJ nodded at her logic and said, "I can see that you need to face him, but you're not going alone. People change over the years, just look at yourself. You really don't know what he is capable of these days, Sarah."

"All right, I'll call him and set up a meeting," Mac said, and a few minutes later reported, "I'm to meet him at the Dew Drop Inn in an hour."

With a sigh, John looked at both of them and said, "Well, it does look like you no longer needed me. I hope you two will be happy and congrats again on the baby."

Both AJ and Mac were a bit surprised at John's quick exit, but since the drive into town took forty-five minutes they didn't have time to dwell on it.

To be continued….


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

As they climbed the stairs to the floor of Chris' room, AJ reminded Sarah that he would be right outside listening to every word. All she needed to do was call his name and he would come in. Mac nodded and kissed him quickly before moving to knock on Chris' door.

She was on alert when she realized the door was slightly ajar. Throwing AJ a warning look, she slowly and silently pushed the door open. John Farrow was standing over Chris Ragle who lay on the floor unmoving. On the floor between them was a gun. "John, what happened?!" she gasped just as AJ appeared in the doorway.

"When he saw it was me at the door instead of you, he pulled a gun. We struggled and it went off."

As Farrow was explaining, AJ had moved into the room to check on Chris. "He's dead. We need to call this in."

"What should we say?" Mac questioned.

"The truth," Farrow responded as he pulled out his cell phone to make the call.

The trial was embarrassing because the information about the affair had to come out, when it was revealed that Chris had been trying to blackmail Sarah and John. AJ was in court every day to lend his support to his wife. At one point, he was even called to testify. The plea of self defense was easily proven from the condition of the hotel room furniture and the presence of gunpowder residue on both men's hands. Other than a few rude comments Harm made to Mac outside of AJ's hearing, everything was handled quickly and professionally.

Even the talk that Mac had wanted to have with AJ about his possible doubts at the timing of her affair with John had really been unnecessary. On the forty five minute trip to meet with Chris she had brought up the subject and then added, "I was hurt that you might have had doubts about what I'd told you, but later when you defended me to John I knew I was mistaken."

"It wasn't doubts about you at all, Sarah. I was hurt, but had no right to be. Our pasts were just that, past. They have no effect on what you and I have with each other. I mean, while I was in Italy looking for Francesca, I had several meetings with Marcella. During one of those encounters, she told me that when she had run away with our daughter, she had expected me to follow her and bring her home. I have to admit that for just a moment I wondered what my life would have been like if I had. After all I did love her at one time and she did give me Francesca. However, I realized that if that had happened, I never would have had you in my life, and that is frankly unthinkable!"

"I'm very glad you didn't follow her too, then," Mac admitted with a smile.

After that things settled down for a time, Francesca came for a visit at Christmas and stayed for two weeks. Then AJ and Mac went into high gear preparing for the coming baby. Sarah had many shopping trips with Harriet, while AJ painted the guest room that was going to become the nursery. They were very secretive about the names they were deciding between. Unlike Bud and Harriet, however, they had asked for AJ's permission to name their expected son after him.

Sarah and Diane's birthday came around again and to everyone's stunned amazement, Harm finally proposed to Diane. She had been dating Mic on and off, but they had officially ended on Valentine's Day. Harm had sent Diane flowers and the resulting fight between her and Mic had been their last. When that happened, Harm stepped up and spent the next month working on proving that he had finally accepted Carry who was now almost two years old. Whether Diane was just being cautious, or she really wanted to be sure of Harm and his feelings about her child, she had set the wedding date for May 22, 2000.

It was five and a half weeks after the engagement announcement, and AJ was sure that Sarah could have given a count down to the second if both of them hadn't been too busy to think about it. Later they decided something had to be in the air that day that led to an amazing series of events.

To be continued….


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

In the courtroom, Sarah Mackenzie Chegwidden sat behind the bench as Marine Sergeant Morris went into labor. Meanwhile, Harriet also started having contractions. The ambulance that was called picked up Sergeant Morris and took her to the hospital not realizing that there were two women in the building in labor.

Bud and Mac had come into the bullpen, after Sergeant Morris had been taken away, to discover the news about Harriet. Mac helped get her into AJ's office while Bud ran to get their van to take her to the hospital himself. Unfortunately, since he'd been in court all morning, he didn't know that there had been a problem with the elevator. He became stuck between floors.

In AJ's office, the discussion of who would deliver the baby went from ridiculous to scary, until finally AJ took over and said he would do it. Sarah sat on the floor next to her friend helping and encouraging her through her breathing techniques. Harriet kept calling for Bud and it was Mac who thought to call his cell phone. If he couldn't actually be there at least he could talk to her.

Mac continued to coach Harriet through her breathing and did them right along with her. It was Harriet who realized that there was a reason other than helping her, for Mac's diligent assistance.

She turned her gaze to the Admiral and said, "Sir, I think you better prepare for two babies."

His stunned and slightly worried eyes met hers and demanded, "You're just now telling us you're having twins, Harriet?!"

"No Sir. I mean that Mac is in labor too!" she gasped out between contractions.

"WHAT?!" AJ shouted. Turning to Sarah, he demanded, "How long have you been having contractions?"

"Only since I started helping Harriet with her breathing."

"Why didn't you say something?!"

"I didn't want to be a bother," she admitted.

"Bother…has your water broken, Sarah?"

"Yes, a while ago."

"Damn! We need to get you to the hospital!"

"Oh no you don't! If you can deliver Harriet's baby here, you can deliver ours too! Plus, I'm not leaving Harriet here with Bud stuck in the elevator!"

As she finished her statement, it became moot, since Bud came running into the room having just been rescued.

"There!" AJ stated. "Bud's here so you can go to the hospital."

Mac moved to let Bud have her place at Harriet's side and nearly doubled over as a large contraction hit her. "I don't think there's going to be time for that," she gasped, holding her stomach as she sank back to the floor.

Bud frantically looked from his wife to the Admiral's, not quite sure what to do.

AJ barked, "Harm, help Sarah lay down next to Harriet. Harriet I need you to relax for just a moment while I check on my wife. Very soon, I'm going to need you to push, my dear. Harm sit behind Sarah and prop her up, we don't have another pillow."

Harm looked frightened and ready to run, but another contraction hit Mac just as he was about to bolt and her hand clamped down on his like a vice. He moved into position as ordered and tried to free his hand before Mac cut off his circulation completely, but she wouldn't let go.

AJ lifted his wife's skirt and quickly removed her underwear. He gave one brief thought to all of the fantasies of undressing Sarah here in his office and then making love to her. They had never been like this, or with an audience! Quickly checking on the progress of her dilatation, he saw that she was right. There would be no time to get her to the hospital. "Every thing looks fine, darling. Continue your breathing while I get Harriet delivered."

Moving back to Harriet he told her, "All right, Harriet, it's time to push now. Let's get this little guy born."

"Yes Sir," she grinned, and with Bud supporting her shoulders, she pushed for all she was worth.

"Okay, good! His head is out, now. Take a few relaxing breaths and when the next contraction starts, push again."

Harriet followed the instructions like a trooper and within moments Bud was cutting their son's cord. AJ wrapped the baby in a towel and handed him to the new parents.

Bud commented, "We have a son!" And AJ welcomed him to the ranks of fatherhood.

To be continued….


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Quickly taking care of the afterbirth, AJ returned to check on Sarah. "Darlin', you seem to be in a hell of a hurry here! Our child is already crowning! On the next contraction, I want you to push hard just like Harriet did."

Mac nodded her understanding as the pain of her contraction hit her and pushed as hard as she could. The rush of relief was a surprise as she did, because she had been thinking there would be at least one more contraction. Her gaze flew to AJ to find out what was going on only to find he wasn't looking at her at all, well at her face anyway.

Fear gripped her heart as she saw tears on his cheeks and she softly moaned his name. She was sure something was wrong with the baby. His eyes met hers and she saw wonder and joy there like she'd never seen before.

"We have a daughter, Sarah. A beautiful perfect daughter!"

Her relief was intense as AJ turned, with the baby nestled on his towel covered shoulder, and asked Bud, "Bud, since you are right here, would you mind cutting another cord?"

"Are you sure Sir? That is the father's job."

"I have my hands a bit full right now, so if you would please…"

"Of course, Sir!" Bud agreed, and quickly performed the all-important task a second time.

AJ handed the baby to Sarah while he again dealt with afterbirth and then looked up to find Harriet and Sarah gazing at each other. Mac grinned at her friend and asked, "What do you want to bet that one day these two will end up married to each other?"

Harriet laughed and said, "Well then, we'd better introduce them! AJ Roberts, I want you to meet…"

She had paused for Sarah to fill in the name that she and her husband had been keeping a secret. Mac replied, "Tamara Marie Chegwidden." This was the name she and AJ had decided on if their child was a girl. They had both wanted the sex to be a surprise so had asked not to be told during her ultrasounds.

Everyone in the room had smiles on their faces, most were of tenderness at the sight of two new mothers and babies, but Harm's was mainly of relief at the sight of the ambulance crew arriving to take them to the hospital.

As the crew assessed the situation and got everything organized, AJ in his normal take charge way, said, "Bud, give Brumby your keys, Tiner take mine. Drive our vehicles to Bethesda for us and Harm can pick you up to come back here for your own rides."

"Sir, Harm has a two seater," Mic told him.

"Then Harm take Bud's keys and Mic can do the pick ups."

Once that was settled, the two new families were whisked away.

Three days later Bud and Harriet brought little AJ home, but even though Sarah was released on the same day, little Tami had to stay an extra twenty four hours. She had developed a slight case of jaundice, and the doctor wanted to keep her under a special sun lamp until she was over it. That delay had been how Bud and Harriet managed to put up the 'welcome home' sign while Mac and AJ were returning to the hospital to bring their daughter home.

Over the next year, Sarah and Harriet took delight in comparing the babies' progress through all the stages of firsts. The pair had a joint birthday party a week before Harm and Diane's wedding.

AJ had sat in the front row with both children as Sarah served as Diane's matron of honor and Harriet as her bridesmaid. Bud was Harm's best man and Tiner was his groomsman. Mic Brumby was somewhere in the church, but was not a part of the ceremony.

Six months later the JAG family all mourned with Bud and Harriet as they dealt with the loss of Baby Sarah.

Mac was almost afraid to make the announcement in February of the next year that she and AJ had just learned that they were expecting their second child. With Bud and Harriett still less than a year from the loss of baby Sarah, Mac wasn't sure how they would handle it. But Harriet, with her ever so generous spirit, rejoiced with them, wishing them all the best.

To be continued….


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The day before his first anniversary, Harm had gotten the opportunity to renew his flying qualifications. He promised without fail that he would be home for the special dinner that Diane had planned for them. What he hadn't planned on was the storm that came up and landed both he and his REO in the ocean.

When Mac heard, she insisted that she wanted to be involved even though AJ wanted just the opposite. She insisted that just because she was five months pregnant, it didn't mean that she couldn't help find him. As it turned out, it was her tip that led the search teams to him. Diane expressed her undying gratitude before catching the first flight out to be with her husband.

Matthew Albert Chegwidden was born on September 4th, 2001 much to the delight of his two and a half year old sister who looked on him as a new baby doll to play with. AJ hadn't been happy about his name being used. But, he had learned early on in their marriage that he had a very hard time, no, make that impossible time, denying Sarah anything.

One week later, as the world was glued to their televisions watching the devastating scenes of 9/11 unfold, the JAG family was undergoing the event in a much more personal way. Not only were they emotionally in shock because they were Americans, but they were also affected professionally because of the Pentagon attack. The personal reason they were invested was that they were frantic for news of Diane Rabb. Harm's wife had been working there since coming back for the trial and had been on duty on that fateful morning. Harm's repeated calls to her cell phone at first went unanswered for some unknown reason, then when so many others were trying to reach their loved ones, his calls didn't go through was because the lines were so over loaded.

Everyone did what they could to help in the search for Diane. The JAG office practically shut down and anyone that was free was involved in whatever way they could with the search and rescue at the Pentagon. Only cases that couldn't be put off were heard and the term 'skeleton crew' was being generous.

Mac wanted to be involved in helping to find her sister, but she was trapped at home with a week old baby. It wasn't that she didn't love her newborn son, but she feared for her sister's life, and the more hours that went by, the worse that fear grew.

AJ held her in his arms as she spent that first night in tears. She'd had her sister in her life for such a short time and now to lose her like this was a fear that tore at her heart. Sleep born of exhaustion and tears is rarely restful and waking twice during the night to nurse a baby was not conductive to rest either.

Waking with a start, at exactly twenty hours (9+11) after the plane crashed into the Pentagon at 0537 on the morning of the 12th, Mac knew where her sister was trapped in the building. She called Harm to tell him right after explaining to AJ what her abrupt waking had meant. Armed with what area to search in, Harm headed to back to the sight and four hours later was on hand to help unearth his wife from the debris. As soon as he could, he called Mac to let her know Diane had been found and that they were airlifting her to the hospital. He promised to call again when he had news of her condition.

It was touch and go for several days, but Diane was finally pronounced out of the woods. She would recover, but her injuries were extensive enough to rule out her staying in the Navy.

When Clayton Webb came forward to offer a solution, it surprised everyone. He offered Diane a job in the CIA. Desk work until (or if) she ever became able to do field work. Although the JAG crew had little good to say about Webb, Diane was over the moon to think she would still be able to contribute in a useful way. She began her new job on the same day she found out she was pregnant. It seemed that all the celebrating she and Harm had done when she got home from the hospital had paid off.

To be continued….


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

The first annual JAG-a-thon had been scheduled for November 13th. However, since that was only two months after the fateful events of 9/11, there had been talk of canceling or postponing it. Finally, however, it was decided that they all desperately needed something positive to look forward to and that it would take place as planned.

Sarah was especially glad about that decision because she'd worked hard to get in shape for the race after little Mac's birth.

Even though AJ had to leave the race early because of a call from the SECNAV and was disappointed not to be able to finish, he was still very proud that his wife had tied for second place along with Harm.

Six weeks later, right before Christmas, Harm had a fateful run in with a young client. With the brig full for the holiday, he volunteered to take custody of Petty Officer Third Class Jennifer Coates. While everyone else was at Bud and Harriet's Christmas party, Harm and Jen were getting cozy in a hotel room across town.

Diane found out about it several days later and the resulting fight caused her blood pressure to raise to a dangerous level. As Harm continued to try and deny things, even after she was taken to the hospital, nothing the doctors could do would bring her BP down.

Mac ultimately dragged Harm from Diane's room when she got there, but it was too late. The continued stress had been too much for her and she lost the baby.

For the next year and a half, she and Harm were in and out of therapy, trying to keep their marriage from floundering completely. Diane's health had improved during this time and, in January of 2002 she was actually allowed out into the field on a few assignments. This helped her outlook and gave her and Harm hope that things would improve on the home front as well.

Clayton Webb was keeping a close eye on Diane, to make sure that she wasn't over extending herself. Unbeknownst to everyone, Webb had a hidden agenda as far as Diane was concerned. He had watched the ups and downs in her marriage and was waiting in the wings for it to finally be over, in the hopes that he could step in. Webb had admired Sarah Mackenzie's outer package from the first time they met, but Mac had always been a little too gung-ho for his taste. On the other hand, Diane was a sweeter, softer version of the same mold and he wanted her for himself. He knew that she would return his feelings as soon as she realized that she was too good for Harmon Rabb Jr.

His big chance to get her alone on a mission out of the country finally came in May of 2003. Their cover of husband and pregnant wife had been Webb's idea. He saw it as a way to show her all he could give her that Rabb obviously couldn't.

The mission did not, however, go as planned. The first clue that something might be wrong was that Diane hadn't checked in with Harm as arranged. When questioned by a suspicious sister-in-law, he angrily insisted to Mac that he and his wife had been on good terms when she left and he fully expected to hear from her!

Then word came through official, and unofficial channels, that Webb had also missed some check-ins with his office, but they would say no more than that. Harm went to the Admiral and requested to be allowed to go after them. AJ said, 'no'. So, Harm demanded to be allowed to go. Again, AJ said, 'no'. Faced with the immoveable object of his CO, Harm had no other choice. He resigned his commission and went after his wife. Once over there, he teamed up with Victor Galindez in his efforts to find Diane and Webb.

Meanwhile, Webb was undergoing some pretty intense torture. In a weakened state he admitted to Diane that he loved her. He insisted that he could make her happy and give her a life that Rabb could only dream of doing. Diane gently, but firmly, told him that she loved her husband, and that if they got out of the mess they were in, she would be returning to him. She also privately faced the fact that if they did get out of Paraguay alive, she would have to find a new job. She couldn't continue to work for Clay if he was in love with her.

To be continued….


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Harm and Gunny did manage to rescue the pair, but Webb was in a bad way when they found them. He would be in the hospital for quite some time and have a long road to recovery.

Diane came home with a renewed desire to make her marriage work and four months later announced that she and Harm were once again expecting. She had left her job with the CIA allowing everyone to think that it was that last mission that put her off working there rather than reveal Webb's feelings for her. A consulting job at the Pentagon had been offered to her, and even after her experience on 9/11, she happily took it.

That fall, Sarah had become involved with the Toys for Tots program. When she was invited to be interviewed about it on national TV during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, she persuaded AJ to go with her and lend the strength of his office to her plea for support of the cause.

After their appearance, donations doubled and Sarah was thrilled beyond belief. Something that wouldn't have thrilled her, had she known about it, was the fact that her sister's captor, Sadik Fahd, had seen the broadcast. Knowing that the name she had been using during their encounter must have been a cover, he now assumed he knew who she really was. He had no way of knowing that Sarah Mackenzie Chegwidden had an identical twin sister and that it was she and not Sarah who was the one he was really looking for.

At Bud and Harriet's now traditional Christmas party, just one month after Diane and Harm's announcement, Sarah and AJ made the same one. They were expecting again. At the beginning of February the Chegwidden's found out that Sarah wasn't expecting one baby, but two. Joyous as the news was, they had a frank discussion about the size of their family and decided that when the twins were born, Sarah would have her tubes tied, limiting their family to four. This part of their history was something he kept from telling Sarah while he recounted their past to her in the hospital.

Shortly after the 'twin' discovery, Sarah started getting an odd series of 'hang-up' calls on her cell phone. She thought nothing of it at first, until they started to change. Now, instead of hanging up a few seconds after the call was answered, the man (Sarah assumed the caller was male) would linger on the line. He was now letting her do the hanging up. When she checked her caller ID the number was listed as unknown.

Still seeing nothing to worry about in a few odd phone calls, she said nothing to AJ or anyone else about them. Considering her condition, AJ was being even more protective of her than ever.

It had been discussed between them that Sarah might resign her commission or go on non-active duty status to stay home with the children once the twins were born. Tami, at five, was happy with the baby news, she was old enough to help with them she informed her parents. On the other hand, little Mac at two years old, was upset by the news. The day care that the children attended reported that he had started acting out, and before long Sarah and AJ were seeing it at home too. He was still too young to tell them why he was acting that way, but Harriet suggested he might think he was going to be replaced by the new babies, or get less of his parents love. Sarah thought if she was at home more she could lay his fears to rest.

Thursday, February 26, 2004

1230 EST

Judge Mackenzie/Chegwidden's chambers

Falls Church, Virginia

By the second week of calls Sarah was becoming a bit steamed. During one of the calls, on her lunch break at work, she demanded, "Who the hell are you, and what do you want?!"

She was rather amazed to get an answer this time after so many calls of silence. "Someone who now knows your real name Sarah Chegwidden," the cultured male voice told her. She was still staring at the phone when a click came from the other end.

To be continued….


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

"My real name?" Sarah muttered aloud. "What the hell does that mean? I haven't used anything but my real name in over five years! In fact the only time I ever used another name was when Webb would get…oh shit! Webb! This must have something to do with Diane, and somehow whoever is calling got the two of us mixed up!" Somewhere along the line after having Tami, Sarah had developed the habit of voicing her thoughts out loud when she was trying to reason things out. AJ thought it was a very cute habit and teased her about not doing it while sitting on the bench.

It was hard to concentrate on the case she was hearing that afternoon, but after the second time Bud had cleared his throat to get her attention, she forced her thoughts away from her mysterious caller.

The next call came while she was straightening her desk in preparation to go home. It seemed that once the wall of silence had been broken, her caller was now ready to communicate with her. Unfortunately, what he was saying, sent a chill through her heart. After each had said the traditional 'hello', he started by saying, "Mrs. Chegwidden, I know that the man who was with you when we met was not your true husband. However, if you give me his name, I will have no reason to harm your husband, or your two very fine children."

"What kind of sadistic man threatens innocent children?!" she demanded as her mind turned over her own words. Sadistic…Sadik…and the false name clue, plus saying that 'she' had been there with another man who most likely had been posing as her husband.

"The kind who is used to getting what he wants…so, do I get his name?"

"While we're speaking of names, I know who this is!"

"I knew you were an intelligent woman, Mrs. Chegwidden. But, you will be a childless widow if I don't get what I want."

"I am capable of protecting my family, Sadik! You won't get anything from me!"

She heard his laughter and, "We shall see," as she snapped the phone closed.

The moment the call ended, Sarah headed to the day care to pick up the children. She knew that AJ would be working late that night; it was once again budget time. Keeping very alert, she got the children home and after feeding them, she sent them to play while she placed a call to warn AJ.

Knowing that he respected her 'feelings' after what had happened with Harm's plane crash and finding Diane, she told him, "I've just had an odd feeling this evening that you might be in trouble. Will you be extra careful coming home tonight?"

"I will, Sarah, but do you have anything more to go on than that?"

Hating to lie to him, she did so, in the hopes that this would all blow over quickly. "No, it's just a feeling. Please be careful, darling."

"All right, Sarah. I'll see you in a few hours."

Three hours later AJ was home safe and sound just as he had promised. Sarah breathed a secret sigh of relief and wondered if Sadik was simply playing mind games, or if she really had something to fear.

When AJ gently probed for more information about the 'feeling' she'd had, Sarah once again lied to her husband and told him, "It must have been nothing after all."

The next day the calls started early. The first one was while AJ was in the shower and she was feeding the children. Her face went pale hearing that cold voice while staring at her precious children. "You won't know when it will happen, Mrs. Chegwidden, but I will be coming for your family if you don't tell me what I want to know."

She couldn't speak. She couldn't say what she wanted to this sick twisted man while staring into the faces of her children. All she could do was snap her phone shut.

Tami looked up from her cereal just as AJ came into the room and said, "You didn't say anything on the phone, Mommy."

"It was a wrong number, honey," she told her daughter.

"But aren't you supposed to tell them that? All you did was hang up," her daughter wanted to know.

Her mother stood there trying to think of a fast answer as she stared into the face of her suddenly suspicious husband.

To be continued….


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

AJ told the children to go and brush their teeth because they would be leaving soon. The second that they were out of the room he demanded, "All right, Sarah, who was it? Does that call have anything to do with the 'feeling' you had last night?"

She stood there once again marveling at the love this man had for her. Any other man might have thought that she had been keeping some secret lover from him, but not AJ. He had immediately thought that there might be trouble, instead of his wife cheating on him. She couldn't lie to him in the face of the trust in her he had just shown, but he had inadvertently given her the perfect 'out'. "Yes," she answered. "I have gotten a few odd hang-up calls and I guess it just spooked me."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, his voice tense with concern as he crossed the room and wrapped her protectively in his arms.

Mac felt like a heel for lying to him, but his reaction had been just what she'd expected it to be. "I didn't want you to worry," she told him.

"It's my job to worry about you and the children!" he protested with a tender smile.

"I know, but some days you do it too well, AJ. It really was nothing. I was just letting the pregnancy hormones get to me."

"All right, Sarah, if you're sure. I'll let it go, but please let me know when things like this happen. If the calls keep up, we should try to have them traced."

"I'll let you know if I get any more," she promised, not meaning a word of it.

"Good," he responded as Tami and Mac ran back into the room. "Okay you two, get your coats on, its time to go! That includes you too, Mommy," he laughed, giving her a loving pat on her six.

She gave him an arched brow glance before moving to the hall closet to get her coat.

The next call came while she was hearing a case so it went to voice mail since she had her phone off. She got the message when she returned to her chambers at lunch break. There was no voice message, only a picture sent to her phone. The picture was of her and AJ dropping the children off at the day care, and from the clothes Tami and Mac were wearing, she could tell it had been taken this morning!

If the picture had been of them at home, she wouldn't have been nearly as worried, although most people would have thought just the opposite because the picture told you that the blackmailer knew where you lived. But, Sarah knew that she and AJ were well trained and able to protect their family as well as having a security system installed at the house.

However, pictures of the children at day care, where they weren't under her or AJ's watchful eyes, well, that caused true dread in her heart. She knew she was going to have to do something drastic to keep her children safe. Just as she made that decision, her phone rang, almost as if he knew! She had been going to meet AJ for lunch, but what that plan needed to be put on hold until she could deal with this threat.

Answering the 'unknown caller' with a terse, "Hello!" she waited to see what he would say.

Wasting no time with pleasantries, he got right to the point, "I hope you understood my message, Sarah. Here is my proposition, since your son is needed to carry on the family name, and I have no reason to hurt your husband unless you force my hand, I will kill your daughter first. Then if I still don't have what I want, I will kill your son, and finally your husband. Now, how could that be any more fair?"

Sarah could hear the pleasure in his voice. He was taking great delight in tormenting her in this way! "Alright! I'll give you what you want, but I will only do it in person!" she snapped.

A chuckle came over the line, "Oh Sarah, I do so enjoy your little games. You never cease to please me! I'm sure that you want this meeting to try and 'take me out' as you quaint Americans put it, and I think it might be amusing to let you try. I shall meet with you. Tonight at 7pm. Come to the Plaza Suites Hotel. Take a seat at a table in the bar. I will find you since I know what you look like and I have changed my appearance since out last encounter. Don't be late!" he instructed and abruptly ended the call.

To be continued….


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Sarah strode though the bullpen on her way to AJ's office so focused on what she would tell him in order to keep her meeting with Sadik that evening that she didn't hear the greetings called out to her. This concerned many of the staff, since that was so unlike the Admiral's wife. She always had the time to say hello and share a few words with them. Just ignoring them as she had let them know something was going on.

AJ also knew the moment he saw her that something had happened. He knew that they both would have been called if something happened to one or both of the children so he ruled that out. But that still left him wondering. "Sarah, what is it?" he asked after rising to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"I need you to pick up Tami and Mac from day care tonight, AJ. I have something I need to do after work."

"Something you won't tell me about? Sarah, we're supposed to be a team. We need to handle things together."

"I know, but this is something that I need to do alone, AJ. Please trust me on this. I promise to tell you all about it as soon as I get home."

"Sarah…"

"Please AJ! I will be fine, I promise."

She could see the reluctance in his eyes, but she could also see the trust there. "I want you to promise me one other thing then. Swear that you will take extra care, and call me the moment that you need help…alright?"

"I promise," she assured him, this time meaning it.

"All right then. I'll pick them up and take them to Bud and Harriet's in case you call. If they are there, I can be with you that much quicker."

"Thank you AJ," she said giving him a hug, and then they left for lunch.

Even though he was burning with questions about what was going on, he refrained from asking them, and for that, Sarah was grateful.

She was also grateful that even though she was never being sent out of town on a moments notice any more, she hadn't gotten out of the habit of keeping an emergency bag in the car. AJ eyed it with skepticism when she took it with her into the building after their lunch. However, he said nothing.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Sarah or have the utmost faith in her, but she was his wife and was pregnant on top of that. So, AJ thought about his next move for almost an hour after returning to his office before placing a call to Deputy Director of the CIA, Clayton Webb. "Webb, do you have anything to do with this very mysterious secret meeting Sarah has after work tonight?" he demanded to know when the spy came on the line.

His response told AJ that he did know something was up if not every detail, like the fact that Sarah was involved. "SHIT!" he exclaimed, and slammed down the phone.

AJ was hotter than hell when all of his subsequent calls went unanswered. Calling Bud into the office he arranged for the younger man to pick up Tami and Mac when he went to pick up little AJ. The elder AJ was planning on following his wife, even after his promise to let her handle it alone.

Clayton Webb was in a quandary. His office had been keeping tabs on Fahd since his entrance into the country three weeks ago and knew that the man was up to something. However, Fahd was very clever and managed to find every listening device that the Company had planted. The first indication that the Chegwidden family was somehow involved in what Fahd was planning was when his tail spotted him taking pictures of the family this morning.

Webb had been debating all morning about calling Diane Rabb to find out if Fahd was using her sister and her family as some kind of threat to her. His first clue that Fahd had possibly mistaken Sarah Chegwidden for her sister was AJ's call. He then knew that he would have to contact Diane. Even though she had left the Company, she would kill him herself if anything happened to her sister because of their involvement with Fahd.

To be continued….


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

The problem that Clay had was that he was still in love with Diane, even the thought of seeing her, especially since he'd learned of her pregnancy, was very painful. No matter, it had to be done! He placed the call, and after exchanging a few pleasantries, he came to the point. "Diane, I have to see you. Do you want to meet somewhere or should I come to your office?"

"Clay, I don't think that's a good idea," she told him.

"It involves our last mission together and your twin!"

There was a moment of shocked silence before she whispered, "Oh god. I'll meet you at the Starbucks in the Mall in twenty minutes."

Both of them hung up without saying good-bye.

As Clay approached the table where she sat, her first words were not that of greeting, but instead a demand of, "What does Sadik have to do with Sarah?!"

With a sigh, he took a seat and told her, "I believe he has mistaken her for you. Remember there was never any official information that you two are twins. If he saw her somewhere and thinks she is you…"

"Then she's in danger…"

"He might also be after her kids. Our tail on him saw him taking pictures of Sarah and AJ dropping the kids at day care this morning," Clay admitted reluctantly, knowing how she would react to that.

"Oh God! We can't allow that!" she gasped with her hand going to her own child.

Clay's eyes dwelt on her tummy for just a moment, wishing that the child she was carrying was his, before he said, "Chegwidden called me right before I called you, he was asking about a secret meeting that Mac had tonight. We have agents on Fahd and I thought you might want to be with me when I tail Mac to the meeting."

"You thought right! Just let me tell Harm I will be home late and that he will need to watch Carrey."

"Rabb as a father…I just have a hard time picturing him in that role."

"Harm has been a wonderful father to Carrey. It took him some time to warm up to her, but once he did they became very close. I know that he is looking forward to this new baby as much as I am."

He looked away. It was so hard to see the happiness on her face when she talked of another man and their coming child, even if the other man was her husband. The only thing he could do was to focus on business. "Chegwidden said the meeting was for tonight, but he didn't know where or when."

"So, since she doesn't want AJ involved, I take it that she has no idea you are?"

"None," he confirmed. "She seems to think she can deal with Fahd on her own."

"Sarah is very capable, but I don't know why she is trying this alone since she's pregnant too."

"Good God! What is it with you and your sister?! Breeding like rabbits!"

Diane glared at him for a moment and then said, "Our choices are none of your business, Clay! But, for your information, Sarah and AJ are expecting twins and plan to not have any more. As for me, Carey is almost seven now, and since I lost our other child, this will only be two for Harm and I!"

"I'm sorry, Diane. I was aware you'd lost a baby…and I should have been more sensitive to that."

Clay knew when it was time to shut up and this was definitely it. Instead, he began to discuss their arrangements. By the time they had finished their coffee, they had a plan laid out and he had arranged to pick her up from work.

Sarah had changed out of her uniform and into the dress she had in her bag. A white dress was wrong for this time of year, and the straight skirt was not her first choice of attire to meet a man she fully expected a physical confrontation with. Also because of the skirts cut it was impossible to hide the fact that she was pregnant.

Calling a cab, she left through a side door so as to draw as little attention to herself as possible.

That was how AJ missed her.

To be continued….


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

But, because Diane and Clay knew Sarah was trying to keep the meeting information from AJ they reasoned that she might do just that. They followed the cab to the hotel and then took up positions to watch her unobserved. Clay checked in with Fahd's tail and was told they were on route somewhere and would be ready to help in any way they were needed if they arrived at the hotel.

Sarah had purposely arrived early in the hope that Sadik would be precisely on time as he had directed her. She wanted to already be seated at the table to hide her condition as long as possible. The fact that it was February and so cold out that she needed a coat also helped conceal her stomach. She chose a seat facing the door so she could watch for him to arrive.

Sadik approached the table, surprised that Sarah Chegwidden did not seem startled by his complete change of appearance. She was even more clever at hiding her reactions than he thought she would be, or unaware of her own beauty, if she assumed that only he would approach her and not one of the other men in the bar that were eyeing her.

What he didn't realize was that this woman had never seen him before. It had been her sister that knew what he looked like before. Plus her military training had helped her pick out the differences between the casual drinkers at the bar and a man that was there with a definite purpose.

"A woman who is not only on time, but early, is impressive, Sarah." He nodded at the drink in front of her and added, "It is also pleasing to see a woman who comes to a bar without ordering alcohol. Or, was it that you felt you needed to keep a clear head?"

Aware of his culture and that he had already been testing her to see if she would come to a bar alone. Something a woman of respect would never do, she also knew that she would have lowered herself even more in his eyes if she had ordered alcohol. However, she was not about to let him intimidate her into playing his game. "My reasons are my own," she replied, meeting his gaze as only a bold western woman would do.

"We shall have our talk in private. I have taken a suite here. Follow me," he ordered and got up without even waiting to see she would follow. He clearly just assumed she would.

She quickly stood, put her coat back on, and closed it around herself. He remained more than an arms length in front of her until they reached the elevator. Because they weren't alone in the car, neither of them spoke until they reached the floor his room was on. As they moved down the hall he said, "I have come to admire you, Sarah. You are an interesting contradiction. You are aware, are you not, that women in my country are more revered than here in your United States?"

"More subjugated you mean," she replied, as he opened the door to the suite and went in.

"We prefer to see it as protecting them. I would like you to make me a cup of tea," he instructed.

Sarah knew this was another attempt to 'put her in her place' by waiting on him, but at the moment it suited her purpose to play along. She wanted to see what he was up to. Nodding her compliance, she moved behind the counter and looked around for what she would need. Just before she began the preparations, he quietly, but firmly, said one more word, "Barefoot."

Knowing that this was once again humble her and demonstrate her lowly status, she nonetheless stepped out of her pumps without saying a word. His slight grin told her that he felt she was under his control.

He remained standing, watching her from across the room as she worked. When everything was ready, she placed it on a tray and brought it to the coffee table in front of the couch he was standing next to.

"Remove your coat and join me," he commanded.

She hesitated only a moment before doing as he wanted. Unbuttoning her coat, she turned her back on him as she slid it off and laid it over the back of a nearby chair.

"You may pour," he grandly stated without moving to sit down.

Sarah had no choice. She had to turn back and sit down, hoping he wouldn't notice her slightly rounded belly.

Her hope was dashed when he jeered, "Do you think I will believe that you are pregnant once again, Sarah? You have so little faith in my intelligence."

The relief she felt in his assumption that her pregnancy was a fake, distracted her just enough that she wasn't prepared for what came next.

To be continued….


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Thursday, March 2, 2004

1400 EST

Bethesda Naval Hospital

Bethesda, Maryland

AJ stopped the story at that point, pinching the bridge of his nose, something he usually did when he'd been wearing his glasses for too long. But, since he hadn't had them on in the two days she'd been awake, Sarah had to suspect that there was some other reason.

Clearly the fight she'd gotten into with Sadik had been what put her here in the hospital because when she first woke up with the odd memory switch, he had agreed that Sadik should be the last thing that she remembered before waking up. So, what was it he didn't want to tell her? What was he keeping from her?

Her mind had been so wrapped up in the wonderful story of their lives together over the last two days of him recounting it, that she hadn't really taken the time to worry about her injuries. Now, however, there was something she should obviously know, but he didn't want her to, or didn't think she could handle.

It had been five days since she'd shot Sadik and Diane Rabb didn't have a single moments regret about it. What had forced her to bed rest was the horrible guilt that she felt over that evil man mistaking Sarah for her and killing her babies. Diane was sure her sister would never forgive her for what happened, but nonetheless, she had to see Sarah!

The visiting nurse that had been coming in twice a day to take her blood pressure had finally said that she was well enough to be out of bed. The woman was hardly out the door before Diane was up and getting dressed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Harm demanded.

"Where do you _think_ I'm going?" his wife snapped.

"Di, honey, the nurse said you could get out of bed. She didn't say you were up to a very emotional trip to the hospital!" he protested.

"Harm, I'm going to see Sarah, and nothing you or anyone else could do will stop me!" she insisted grabbing her coat and keys.

"All right! If you're determined to go, you can at least let me drive you!"

"Okay, as long as you aren't going to keep trying to talk me out of it!"

"I promise," he assured her and held out his hand for the car keys.

"AJ, what is it that you're trying so hard to keep from me? Remember the doctor said you could tell me things to help bring back my memory."

How could he tell her? How could he keep from telling her? Either way Sarah was going to be very upset. Wouldn't it be better, for now, if she was angry with him for not telling her, rather than devastated with the truth, if he did? AJ knew that sooner or later she would remember or figure out what he was keeping from her on her own, but until that time… "Sarah, darling, some things are better to wait until you are stronger for…"

She was about to protest that she was just fine when Harm and a woman who looked just like her came into the room. The first thing that Sarah noticed, after the fact that she looked just like her, and that must mean she was Diane, and her identical twin sister, was the she was pregnant. As she did, everything came flooding back to her in one chaotic rush.

Just as her mind was trying to grasp all of that, her last memory of what happened before waking up here in the hospital hit her like a ton of bricks.

With a spinning kick, that gave lie to the new aged look he presented, Sadik had kicked her directly on the place where her babies were growing. The force of the blow spun her around causing her to fall back, flying over the edge of the coffee table. Even as she started to fall, she knew that he had just killed her babies. Her mind was reeling at the devastating loss and how AJ would never forgive her for putting herself in this situation and getting his children killed as her head hit the corner of the table on her way down. She was unconscious before she hit the floor.

To be continued….


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

With a horrified gasp, Mac's hands flew to her tummy, and in the next instant her whimper tore through AJ's soul. He knew without a doubt that she had realized she'd lost the babies.

While telling her the story of their lives, he had been sitting in a chair right next to her bed. AJ quickly got to his feet and took his wife into his arms before the first sob shook her body. "Oh Darlin'," he whispered as he held her close.

"Oh Sarah! I expected you to shout or curse at me for what happened! Why are you crying?" Diane asked, as she moved to the other side of her sister's bed.

AJ looked at the woman who was identical in every way to his wife except that she was still pregnant while Sarah wasn't, and his heart ached at the sight of her. But, he answered Diane's question without a trace of that on his face, "Sarah didn't remember anything about what happened, Diane. I'm guessing that the sight of you in your condition is what brought it all back to her."

"Diane, you couldn't have known this would happen!" Harm assured her.

"He's right, Diane. Sarah would have remembered sooner or later. It's better that it happened when we are all here to help her."

Meanwhile, as the conversation was going on around her, Sarah once again relived that horrible kick that Sadik had delivered to her. She knew that no matter what Diane had said, it was all her fault that she had lost her precious babies!

It was her fault that she hadn't told AJ about the calls right away.

It was her fault that she hadn't told Webb when she realized that it was Sadik.

It was her fault that she that she had let AJ believe the calls were pranks.

It was her fault that she that she had lied to him by omission about the threats to him and the children.

It was her fault that she hadn't told anyone about the meeting.

It was her fault that she had in her kick-ass Marine mind thought she could handle it alone.

Yes, all of it was her fault and she didn't know how AJ could stand to be in the same room with her after what she'd done, let alone be holding her in his arms. She tried to pull away but he wouldn't let her go. She finally spoke, "AJ, I am so, so sorry for getting our babies killed! I will understand if you never want to see me again!"

"Sarah! Let's have none of that kind of talk! We will get through this loss just like we have handled everything else in our lives, together! My love for you will never die! The doctor has said that when you are well, if we want to, we can try for another child."

"We can?" she gasped out hopefully.

"Yes, but you must take care of yourself and get well first," he insisted.

Aware that Harm and Diane were still in the room and any more personal talk would have to wait until later, Sarah turned to her sister and asked, "What happened after…"

She couldn't finish that thought, but her sister thoughtfully rushed in to answer anyway, "Webb and I had been listening outside the door in the hopes of finding out what Fahd wanted. But, at the first indication of a fight, we broke it down and went rushing in. Unfortunately, as we found out later, it was too late for the babies," she sadly reported, and then went on to tell her the rest of what had happened.

Fahd spun around at the sound of the door crashing in. Although he felt a moment's satisfaction in seeing Webb and knowing he was there to protect the woman he had just felled. His next thought was of stunned disbelief. Seeing Diane, he threw a glance back at Sarah and gasped, "There are two of you?!"

"No," Diane replied. "One of each of us!" she told him with satisfaction as she placed a well aimed shot right between Fahd's eyes.

Clay was already on his knees checking Mac out, the stain of blood soaking into the carpet from between her legs told him it was bad. He demanded into his headset that paramedics be called as Diane joined him next to her sister.

"Oh god! This is bad," she gasped, holding onto Sarah's hand. "I need to call AJ," she said through her sobs.

"I'll do it," Webb said. "You concentrate on Sarah."

To be continued….


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Between Harm and AJ, the rest of the story was pieced together as to what went on.

Clay had gotten up and moved to the other side of the room to place the call. He didn't tell him about the babies knowing that AJ needed to be able to drive to the hospital. All he said was that Fahd was dead and that they were taking Sarah to Bethesda. Clay hung up even as AJ was still shouting out questions. He knew it would be better for his state of concentration that AJ not find out what had happened until he reached the hospital.

Then, although it nearly killed him to do it, he called Harm and told him to meet them at the hospital. Clay knew Diane would want to stay with her sister, but he could already see how emotionally overwrought she was becoming. It was clear that she was blaming herself for what happened to her sister. Knowing that stress was what caused her to lose her last baby, he knew she needed to be extra careful with this pregnancy.

He was just a bit surprised when Harm reacted in almost an identical manner to AJ. Maybe Harm really was committed to Diane at long last. If so, his hopes for a future with her were probably never going to come to pass.

As he hung up the call with Harm, the paramedics arrived and confirmed their fears about the babies. At the news that Sarah had lost the twins, Diane grasped her own tummy and with a whimper of pain collapsed next to her sister. The paramedics looked startled for a moment and then snapped into action to get both women to the hospital.

Diane's diagnosis was easy, she was overly stressed. They kept her overnight then released her in the morning with strict instructions to go home and stay on complete bed rest until her blood pressure stabilized. A visiting nurse would check on her twice a day, but Harm was told if she showed any more signs of distress or wouldn't stay in bed, he was to bring her back to the hospital or run the risk of losing the baby.

Sarah, on the other hand, was rushed right past her desperately worried husband and into surgery the moment they arrived at Bethesda. AJ was given forms to sign, but he was given no information until Webb arrived after following the ambulance to the hospital.

He took one look at Webb's haggard face and snarled, "I knew you were somehow involved in all this!" Without warning, his fist flew out and without regret, broke Clay's nose.

The nurse that saw it happened glared at him until he informed her. "He's the reason those two women that were just brought in here!"

She turned her angry glance on Webb even as she moved him towards a treatment room.

AJ had just started on the forms when Harm came hurrying into the emergency area. He gave them his and Diane's names, he was going to be taken back to his wife when he saw AJ. Asking the nurse to hold on just a moment he walked over to his CO. "How is Mac?" he asked.

"They haven't told me yet," AJ responded.

"I'll see if I can find out anything when I get back there," Harm offered.

AJ nodded and went back to the paperwork as Harm left.

When Harm heard that Mac had lost her babies, he knew there was no way he could handle going out to the waiting room to tell AJ! He reasoned that he had enough on his plate with worrying about Diane and their child. The sight of Webb's broken nose, and hearing how it had happened, only reinforced his belief that he had made the right call.

AJ was alone when the doctor came out to give him the news about Sarah. He sat there unmoving, not even blinking until for just a moment the doctor thought he hadn't heard him. Then AJ took a deep breath, knowing he would have time to mourn the loss of the twins later, right now he had to focus on Sarah. "How is my wife, Doctor?"

"She has a concussion from the blow to her head and some internal injuries other than the loss of the babies. I can't say for sure right now if she'll be able to carry another child, we're going to have to wait for the swelling to go down to assess the extent of the damage. But, she's young and strong, she should come through this fine. She'll be transferred to a room in a few minutes, and you can see her then."

"Thank you, Doctor," he said quietly. Once he was alone again he dropped his head into his hands.

To be continued….


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Then there was the long wait until Sarah woke up. AJ had gotten the news from her doctor only the morning before she woke. Her injuries were not going to keep her from having more children when they were ready to try again.

It had been three days until she had awakened. Then, for the next two days he had been telling her the story of their lives together. But now she had her memory back, as well as the news about the twins, and they would have to face that loss together.

All Sarah wanted right then was to break down and cry for her lost babies, but she couldn't do that with Diane and Harm there. It was just too private a loss. Throwing AJ a pleading look that he immediately understood, he nodded and said to the other two, "Sarah and I thank you both for coming today, but she really still needs a lot of rest. If you like, you could visit again tomorrow or Sunday."

"Yes, we should be going," Diane quickly agreed. Kissing her sister's cheek, she whispered, "I am so sorry, Sarah. Please believe me, I would never have wished this on you!"

Mac gave her sister a quick hug and said, "I don't blame you Diane, and I know you would have put yourself in harm's way before me, that's why I didn't tell you. This was totally my fault!"

As the tears started again, AJ motioned with his head for the other two to leave. Then he sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled Sarah into his arms.

"Sarah, you mustn't blame yourself. What you did, you did to protect your sister. You didn't go into this thinking you would lose the babies. That fault has to be placed at Fahd's door."

"But AJ, our babies!" she sobbed.

"I know. I know. But, you're alive, my love, and in the end, that's all that really counts. We can try again when you are well, and if you want to."

"I can't think that far ahead right now," she protested weakly.

"That's fine, you just cry while I hold you. Remember I will always be here whenever you need me."

"I will always need you," she replied with a whimper.

"Then I will always be here," he assured her.

Her doctor came in a while later and told them that if Sarah continued to do as well as she was doing, he would probably let her go home on Sunday. With that news AJ knew that he would need to spend several hours at the house moving the baby things to the basement and out of sight. He certainly didn't want her to come home to a nursery that wouldn't be occupied. Maybe someday they would once again be making those happy kinds of plans.

He was reluctant to leave her that evening since she'd just recovered all of her memory, but Sarah insisted that he needed to spend time with the children and sleep in a real bed. After several tender kisses, he left her.

Arriving at Bud and Harriet's he was told that dinner was almost ready. AJ protested that they didn't need to feed him and Harriet turned a scolding look on him as if he were one of the children.

"Of course we are going to feed you! You need a good home cooked meal after all the hospital cafeteria food!"

"Yes, Ma'am," he said meekly and went to wash his hands just as the children were instructed to do.

While eating Harriet's wonderful beef stroganoff and roasted baby carrots, AJ told them that Sarah had gotten her memory back that afternoon. Bud and Harriet were full of questions about how she reacted and how she was handling the news about the babies.

He explained that she was pretty shaken up and that he'd wanted to stay with her tonight, but she'd sent him home to spend time with the children.

Harriet patted his hand offered her own thought, "She probably also wanted some time to cry alone. You know how tough she wants everyone to think she is."

"But I want to be there for her!" AJ protested.

"I know that and so does she. But, you need to remember that you've had time to come to terms with their loss. This is still very fresh for her."

"All the more reason I should be there with her."

To be continued….


End file.
